News

In 2022, 43 per cent of our power came from a mix of renewable energy sources - wind, solar, bioenergy and hydroelectric. It was the first time in history that such a lionshare of the country's output came from greener solutions. 

These kind of statistics prove that greener energy is becoming more and more prominent in the energy mix, and is required in order for Net Zero targets to be achieved. 

In today’s blog, we’re going to look at how renewable energy projects, such as new wind farms, can successfully be taken from construction to production with two-way radios. 

And we’ll break each stage down, so project managers, on-site workers, and anyone in between can gain a better understanding of how important two-way communication is. 

Construction phase

Once a project has the green light to go ahead, the construction phase can get underway. It’s arguably the most important phase of any renewable energy project – because without it, there is no other phase. 

But, despite its importance, it’s not always the point in the project where serious conversations about using two-way communication devices come into play. 

So, let’s explain why it’s so important to get it right at the construction phase. 

More moving parts than meets the eye

A brand-new offshore wind farm is the perfect example to highlight here. And that’s because so much must go into the construction phase of this renewable energy site. 

For starters, you have the fact wind turbines are constructed onshore, and once built, need to ship offshore to be planted in the sea (either fixed or floating). 

This creates a scenario where an onshore control room must communicate with workers moving the turbines to their rightful home. 

So, workers involved in this process would benefit from a ship-to-shore two-way radio solution, where control room workers can track the location of the turbine delivery, whilst simultaneously communicating with those tasked to stretch their sea legs. 

Other projects, such as a new hydrogen power plant or a waste-to-energy site, may not require a ship-to-shore solution but using a back-to-back two-way radio solution will help project deadlines to stay on track. 

And whilst keeping projects on track is pivotal, so is making sure everyone is safe on the job. Having an effective two-way communication solution in place - one that boasts a range of safety features - is just as important.

This is maginifed by the tragic news in 2022, when a construction worker died at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant site, and when a construction worker on an onshore wind farm in Shetland died in the same year. 

Although, two-way radios can't fully prevent fatalities happen, they can help reduce response time and alert other members of staff that there's a problem in a timely fashion. Examples of this would tbe Man Down feature found on a range of digital radios, and the dedicate panic alarm, both of which will alert other radio users and control dispatchers to an ongoing issue. 

Operation and maintenance phase

A fully functional site is reliant on strong operational process, and the ability to maintain the site to a high standard. The operation and maintenance (O&M) phase of any renewable energy site is paramount to its success - noticeably from a production point of view. 

Statistics also show that O&M is estimated to account for 14% - 30% of total offshore wind farm lifecycle costs, alone. So If any element of this phase is out of joint, it could be costly for budget sheets and the safety of staff. 

And speaking again of safety, the O&M phase is a critical point in which it's paramount that the correct measures in place to avoid accidents, injuries, and more severe scenarios (much like the construction phase). Some of the most common risks found on renewable energy sites are related to lone worker, confided spaces, or working at a height scenarios. 

Once a project is at this point in the site's lifecycle, a robust, reliable communication solution is required (rather than a simple back-to-back solution). It's at this stage that radio infrastructure becomes more complex. And this because: 

• Sites are often multi-operational, in the sense that onshore facilities may need to speak to/or sync with offshore facilities, vessels, and the National Grid
• More workers are on the ground, or up a height, so safety risks increase 
• More machinery is at work, along with production processes, so downtime has to be as minimal as possible. 

Eemits - renewable energy specialists

As a two-way radio solutions provider for over three decades, we're well versed in the energy sector, in particular the emerging renewable energy sector. We currently work with a major renewable energy provider on each of their UK onshore and offshore wind farms, with further scope for some of their French sites too. 

We're also involved in a range of new offshore wind farm projects, including the soon-to-be world's biggest wind farm. Each wind farm has a bespoke two-way radio solution, one that connects onshore, offshore, and vessels together, using the latest in technology - in regards to both radio devices and infrastructure. 

We also partner with waste-to-energy providers, and have expertise that supports hyrdogen power plants, and other players within the UK's energy mix (nuclear and petrochemical as examples). 

Contact us today if you'd like us to scope out your next renewable energy project. We support sites from the construction phase all the way to the production phase. Helping to keep everyone safe, productive, and efficienct on a daily basis.