The predicted life expectancy of turbines on a Cumbrian site has been revealed.

Nabla Wind Hub has completed a study to determine the remaining life of the turbines at Windcluster’s Haverigg site in Cumbria, revealing high life expectancy above 40 years.

The report concludes that, due to the benign, smooth airflow at the site, most of the major components are predicted to have lives in excess of 40 years.

This includes key components like the towers and foundations, as well as the blades. This doubles the original projected lifespan of the turbines, which were given a 20-year life expectancy when they were installed in 2005.

Colin Palmer, managing director of Windcluster Ltd, said: “These results confirm our expectation of the quality of our site at Haverigg and the robust design of the Vestas V52 turbines.

“We were hoping for at least 10 years of extra life, but it looks it could be more like 20 years before the costs of renewal become uneconomic. Now we have the results of the Nabla study we will develop a plan for monitoring the critical components and a schedule for phased refurbishment or renewal as necessary.”

While the report indicates a small number of components that are predicted to reach the end of their lives in less than 40 years, none require immediate attention and all can be effectively managed through routine maintenance, ageing management planning and retrofits over the coming years.