Dutch engineering company and specialist in rotor blade technology We4Ce has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with CEWA Plus, a Thai developer and investor in renewable and infrastructure projects, to scale on-site blade root bushing remanufacturing across Asia.
Blade roots are part of the attachment mechanism of turbine blades, including designs described as fir-tree roots or pinned roots. These components enable secure and efficient connection to the rotor while accommodating significant centrifugal forces during operation.
Serial orders start in April 2026. The MOU integrates We4Ce’s proprietary “Re-FIT” methodology and Danish partner CNC Onsite’s specialised mobile machining hardware with CEWA Plus’s on-site implementation and quality control measures.
Blade root bushings are critical metal inserts that serve as the primary structural connection between the blade root and the turbine hub. In blades using polyester embedding, excessive shrinkage or uneven distribution can compromise the bushing’s interface layer. This can create microcracks that may expand over time, reducing bonding strength and increasing the risk of the bushing loosening, potentially leading to catastrophic blade failure. The Re-FIT methodology provides the precise removal and re-insertion necessary to ensure a factory-standard mechanical bond.
The partnership builds on the 2025 application in Thailand, where CEWA Plus used the technology to restore damaged bushings on 22 blades in-situ at an operational wind park. CEWA Plus is now establishing a regional service hub set to restore thousands of bushings across a multi-gigawatt pipeline. The initiative enables large-scale, sustainable rotor blade maintenance. Following the wind season in April 2026, bushing remanufacturing is scheduled across a 12-country network starting in India, Sri-Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
“This MOU marks a strategic shift in how the industry handles structural maintenance” said Arnold Timmer, Managing Director of We4Ce. “By supplying the technical know-how for our Re-FIT technology and coupling it with CNC Onsite’s mobile precision drilling equipment and CEWA Plus’s on-site setup, we enable regional service providers to resolve maintenance challenges right at the wind farms.”
Previously, addressing loose blade root bushings presented a downtime-ridden, logistical challenge. Operators typically chose between transporting blades to off-site repair facilities or full blade replacement, methods that are not only labour-intensive but also costly. The Re-FIT solution, assessed by UL (DEWI-OCC) offers a high-precision, on-site alternative: downtower remanufacturing.
Replacing bushings, and more critically the interface layer of the blade is a complex aftermarket process. The Re-FIT ensures a high-strength mechanical bond and the structural flatness of the blade root. By eliminating blade transport and waste, the process reduces repair costs by up to 60 percent while significantly lowering both CO2 emissions and downtime.
Delivered under a licensing model, this technology transfer enables wind park operators to carry out major blade remanufacturing independently using their own service teams. Optimised for a throughput of several rotor blades per week, the on-site workflow begins by lowering the blades to a controlled work environment for precision-drilling of the damaged interface layer with bushings. Utilising a patented high-strength replacement and vacuum infusion process, the solution ensures a uniform interface bond that restores full structural strength. This down-tower process is engineered to maintain original surface tolerances and restores the blade root surface flatness, supporting the intended design life.
The MOU also covers the integration of “GapMaster Intelligence,” a new monitoring system, developed by CEWA Plus. Utilising high-precision laser scanning technology, the system continually monitors the bond between the bushing and the blade root. If a gap is detected or begins to expand, the system triggers an automated alert via the plant’s central monitoring (SCADA) system, providing operators with real-time data. This allows maintenance teams to transition from reactive repairs to a proactive, condition-based approach designed to maintain a ‘like-new’ standard throughout the blade’s service life.
“Having successfully validated the Re-FIT methodology during our initial project in Thailand, we recognised that this approach offers a distinct advantage” said Thanongpan Chaipalangrit, Project Manager at CEWA Plus. “By integrating this specialised capability with our monitoring system, we provide wind farm operators a sustainable pathway to extend asset life.”
Replicating that success, technical teams from Asia are scheduled for training in Denmark at CNC Onsite and the Netherlands at We4Ce in late spring. The programme covers the operation of custom machining hardware to drill out damaged interface with bushings, the application of the patented Re-FIT vacuum infusion process to ensure a high-strength bond and the restoration of structural root flatness. This technology transfer equips independent service providers to apply factory-level precision in a field environment.
Since the successful project in Thailand last year, We4Ce and CNC Onsite are now targeting Brazil and the United States, positioning the Re-FIT methodology as a new standard for global blade root maintenance. The two companies will this year start development of offshore windfarm solution setups.
For additional information:
Nguồn: https://www.renewableenergymagazine.com/wind/we4ce-and-cewa-plus-sign-mou-to-20260422