Investment and operating cost plan (CAPEX/OPEX) for wind farms
Wind farm CAPEX OPEX plan: investment and operating cost plan with all CAPEX and OPEX items realistically recorded, as a basis for banks and investors.
We record all items of your wind farm in detail, from project development through construction to ongoing operation. We map the investment costs (CAPEX) as well as the operating costs (OPEX), including maintenance, repairs and insurance. The result is a cost plan that convinces investors and banks and makes it easier for you to manage the project economically.
CAPEX stands for capital expenditures, i.e. all one-off investments up to commissioning. The core consists of the wind turbine with rotor, nacelle and tower, the foundation, and transport and installation. Added to this are ancillary costs: planning and permitting including expert reports and legal advice, the grid connection with internal cabling and substation, the infrastructure with access roads and crane hardstands, where applicable tree felling, ecological compensation measures and bridge financing costs. How large individual items turn out depends on the turbine configuration: a higher rated power and a larger specific rotor area can reduce the specific main investment costs, while a greater hub height can increase them and at the same time raise the yield; the effects have to be calculated for the specific site and turbine. Planning and grid connection have become significant items in recent years. Planning includes personnel costs, reports on wind, noise and ecology, permitting, legal advice and participation in tenders.
OPEX are the ongoing operating costs. The largest items usually include maintenance and repairs, often under long-term full-service contracts, and the lease, which frequently consists of a minimum amount and a yield-dependent share. Further items are technical and commercial operations management, insurance, direct marketing, provisions for decommissioning and ongoing measures such as monitoring. Maintenance and repair costs may rise with increasing turbine age; their development has to be modelled on the basis of turbine type, contract and operating experience. Only both sides together show whether a wind farm pays off over its entire lifetime, not least because full-load hours, specific investment costs and financing conditions also strongly influence the minimum electricity price a project must achieve. The levelised cost of electricity combines CAPEX, OPEX, cost of capital, full-load hours and service life in a single indicator. Rising interest rates increase the cost of capital and thus the levelised cost of electricity. The ratio of fixed to yield- or revenue-dependent costs differs greatly between projects. Depending on the project, direct marketing can cause costs or bring revenues. Added to this are the turbine's own consumption, communication technology, monitoring and fees. Costs should be calculated in real terms with a uniform base year; real and nominal figures must be treated consistently. Value added tax must be taken into account according to the specific input tax deductibility and project structure.
We assess risks and uncertainties realistically and show where costs can be optimised. The cost plan complements the technical due diligence for wind projects and the review report on wind potential and yield. Grid connection and infrastructure draw on the electrical engineering design and the civil engineering design of the wind farm infrastructure. With the tender for the wind turbines, implementation follows.
