The challenge
Our client was constructing a new onshore wind farm designed to feed renewable electricity directly into the national grid. With underground cabling running from each turbine to a central substation, the integrity of the ducting network was critical.
The environment around wind farms is particularly challenging. Remote rural locations often experience:
- Heavy rainfall
- High groundwater levels
- Changing soil conditions
Left unsealed, ducts become a direct pathway for water, silt, rodents and more to travel into joint bays and substation buildings. This can result in cable failures, corrosion, and expensive reactive maintenance.
Adding to the risk, wind farm substations must operate reliably for decades. Any compromise in cable sealing creates costly outages. In turn, this puts energy security at risk.
The solution
FILOform supplied its tried and tested duct sealing systems to support the windfarm main substation connection:
- Filoseal+ (our original sealant with foam backing)
- Filoseal+HD (for heavier cables and the newest seal type)
- Filoseal+ HD Fire Cable Duct Sealing System (adds BS EN1366 Part 3 with up to 4 hours of fire protection)
For this project, key advantages of using the relevant FILOform products included:
Ease of installation
As well as being quick and easy to install, we visited the site to provide in-person guidance and support as part of a smooth turnkey service.
Flexibility for difficult vertical ducts
All the ducts were vertical – meaning gravity could affect the installation of sealant backings. Our products will seal any known duct, no matter the complexity.
Multi-purpose protection
Our products are versatile in application. Not only did we seal the windmill part of the site – covering many square miles – but also its major substation which was the size of the football pitch.
Compliance and proven reliability
Our sealant meets multiple industry standards, comes with a 50-year age test, and is backed by over 25 years of operational experience.
The results
For the client, the adoption of FILOform duct sealing systems created long-lasting benefits:
- Elimination of ingress problems – Standing water and gas migration through ducts was removed, protecting sensitive cabling and equipment.
- Reduction in outages – By protecting against the root cause of failures, the reliability of electricity transmission improved.
- Lower maintenance costs – Sealed systems reduced reactive site visits and allowed engineers to focus on planned maintenance.
- Extended asset life – Improved climate conditions inside joint bays and substations by preventing damp and condensation.
As further social proof, these solutions have been deployed not only on this wind farm project but also across multiple energy sites in the UK and Europe. They form part of a standard approach for utility companies investing in renewable infrastructure.
“By adopting FILOform duct seals as a standard installation, the renewable energy project team secured a reliable, futureproof solution that underpins the performance of its wind farm assets.