In the latest episode of the EU Energy Projects Podcast, Areti Ntaradimou had the pleasure of speaking with Ainhoa Cortés, project lead of Project WILLOW, an EU-funded initiative tackling one of offshore wind’s most pressing and least visible challenges: how to balance energy production with the long-term health of wind turbines.

At the heart of the project is an ambitious integration of structural health monitoring, physical models, and AI-driven tools. WILLOW combines SCADA data, accelerometer readings, corrosion and coating sensors, and machine-learning models to produce far more accurate lifetime predictions. This makes it possible not only to detect damage earlier, but also to make smarter operational decisions. For example, curtailing a turbine already showing signs of degradation rather than one in good condition.