Overview
IEC TS 61400-28:2025 - "Wind energy generation systems - Part 28: Through-life management and life extension of wind power assets" - provides minimum requirements for investigations, assessments and records to ensure the continued structural integrity and safe operation of wind farm assets (particularly wind turbines). The Technical Specification explains how to collect and manage evidence that risks are minimised for personnel and neighbouring structures, and defines the technical basis for justifying extended operation beyond the original design life and site‑specific assessed lifetime for structural and major safety‑critical components.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Through‑life management framework: Guidance on phased management (early life, mid‑life, life‑extension preparation) and iterative assessment of component safety and remaining useful life (RUL).
- Data management and uncertainty: Requirements for design data, meteorological and site data, SCADA, instrumentation, maintenance and inspection history, plus classification and treatment of data uncertainty.
- Risk management: Scope and processes for life‑extension risk assessments, including failure mode analysis and detectability evaluation.
- Operation, maintenance and inspection: Best practice schedules, inspection scopes for tower, blades, bearings, foundations, nacelle and safety systems; reporting and documentation requirements.
- Condition & structural health monitoring (SHM): Minimum condition monitoring devices (CMD) and system expectations (vibration, temperature, oil/grease analysis, load and site monitoring) and how monitoring integrates into asset management.
- Analytical assessment methods: Relative and absolute approaches to determine loads and probabilistic techniques to estimate RUL, with model and input uncertainty treatment.
- Annex guidance: Informative annexes covering data requirements for primary load paths, inspection documentation best practice, bearing and hydraulic CMDs, example methodologies for risk assessment, and life‑extension procedures.
Practical applications - who should use it
- Wind farm owners and operators assessing life‑extension opportunities and seeking to justify continued operation.
- Asset managers and O&M providers implementing inspection, monitoring and data strategies.
- Structural and condition monitoring engineers performing RUL assessments and load modelling.
- Technical consultants, certification bodies, insurers and regulators requiring documented evidence that safety risks are minimised.
- Investment and due‑diligence teams evaluating asset health and long‑term value.
Benefits and SEO keywords
Applying IEC TS 61400-28:2025 helps extend asset life safely, improve confidence in remaining useful life estimates, reduce unplanned failures and provide third‑party evidence for life‑extension decisions. Relevant keywords: through-life management, life extension, wind power assets, wind turbines, remaining useful life (RUL), condition monitoring, SCADA data, structural health monitoring, risk assessment, IEC TS 61400-28:2025.
Related standards
This TS complements other parts of the IEC 61400 series addressing design, testing, load assessment and electrical performance; it should be used alongside relevant national regulations and industry best practices.