Aviva and Onyx partner to reduce risk in wind energy

Insurance giant Aviva's Global Risk Management Solutions business has partnered with predictive analytics specialist Onyx Insight to help wind farm owners improve turbine reliability, reduce maintenance costs and strengthen risk management across their renewable energy portfolios.

The collaboration will initially operate as a pilot programme, giving Aviva customers access to Onyx Insight's AI-driven condition monitoring and predictive analytics technology. The initiative is designed to encourage a more proactive approach to turbine maintenance, enabling operators to identify potential faults before they develop into major failures.

Maintenance remains one of the largest ongoing costs for wind farm operators, particularly as turbine fleets continue to age. Without comprehensive condition monitoring and accurate performance data, operators often rely on reactive maintenance strategies, increasing the likelihood of unexpected breakdowns, extended downtime and higher repair costs.

Through the partnership, Aviva aims to combine its expertise in insurance risk management with Onyx Insight's engineering analytics platform to help customers improve maintenance planning, reduce operations and maintenance (O&M) risks and protect the long-term value of their assets.

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Alexis Grenon, CEO of Onyx Insight, said: “We are delighted to partner with Aviva on this project and are excited to work with its policyholders to help reduce risk across the whole turbine and project lifecycle, from early operation through to later-stage optimisation and life extension. 

"Our advanced failure detection can identify issues up to two years in advance of a potential loss event, giving wind asset owners and operators comfort, and allowing them to take a truly front-footed approach to managing risk and optimising their maintenance plans.”

Under pressure

Acknowledging the pressure on insurers and wind asset owners to enhance resilience strategies, Chris Andrews, Director of Aviva Global Risk Management Solutions, said: “Wider uptake of data and analytics can provide more insight into turbine condition, strengthen underwriting and deliver better risk management practices, helping to prevent unplanned downtime and unexpected costs."

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As the energy transition accelerates, the importance of managing ageing turbines to maximise their operational lifespan in established markets, while making sure new turbine models achieve commercial maturity, continues to grow. 

Breakthroughs in turbine monitoring technologies and actionable AI insights will enable the sector to confront its risk exposure more effectively.

Proactive platform

ONYX Insight's platform combines machine-learning algorithms with one of the wind sector's largest historical failure databases, built from more than 15 years of operational data. The company offers a range of monitoring and asset management services, including retrofit condition monitoring systems for drivetrains, blades, towers and foundations, fleet-wide SCADA analytics, end-of-warranty assessments, remaining useful life modelling, operational expenditure forecasting, root cause analysis and main bearing life extension.

Aviva and Onyx Insight both believe that closer collaboration between insurers, asset owners and technology providers will become increasingly important as the renewable energy sector seeks to improve turbine reliability, optimise maintenance strategies and maximise the value of existing wind assets throughout their operational lifetimes.

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