On September 17, the 2026 SKF Wind Power Customer Day and Technology Innovation Summit, themed “Riding the Wind Together, Building Trust for Mutual Success,” was held in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. The forum brought together more than 150 experts, customer representatives, and partners from the wind power industry. Participants engaged in in-depth discussions on core topics such as the full lifecycle value of the wind power industry, enhancing drivetrain reliability, smart operations and maintenance, and green circular economy, working together to chart new paths for the high-quality development of the wind power industry.

 

 

Redefining Long-Term Value in Wind Power

Through Intelligence and Reliability

 

Dr. Qian Weihua, Vice President of SKF’s Industrial Business in China, stated that competition in the wind power sector is shifting from “scale” to “full lifecycle value.” What project owners need is not cheaper components, but more stable, reliable, and effective power generation. Building on a foundation of reliable operation and leveraging digital intelligence and green circularity as growth drivers, SKF draws on more than 30 years of deep local expertise and global resource collaboration to help customers establish long-term competitive advantages. We look forward to collaborating with partners across the industry chain on joint innovation to help the wind power sector advance toward a more reliable, smarter, and more sustainable path of development.

 

Li Xuesheng, head of SKF’s Wind Power Division in China, noted that SKF will build on reliability and leverage technological innovation to collaborate with industry partners on joint validation and collaborative innovation, working together to promote stable power output and full lifecycle value for wind turbines.

 

Uniting Chains to Build Momentum

Signing Agreements Across the Entire Value Chain to Build an Ecosystem Together

 

Witnessed by all attendees, the forum held a grand strategic signing ceremony.

 

SKF and the Beijing Jianheng Certification Center signed a “Cooperation Agreement on Tiered Certification for Wind Power Full Lifecycle Intelligent O&M Systems.” The two parties will work together to establish industry evaluation benchmarks, advancing system design, pilot assessments, training and capacity building, and the release of results in phases to jointly create new value in intelligent wind power O&M. At the same time, SKF and Mingyang Smart Energy Group Co., Ltd. signed the “Mingyang 8.5MW Main Bearing Testing Cooperation Agreement.” The two parties will conduct joint testing and validation focused on the design rationality, performance reliability, and engineering applicability of the main bearings, establishing a validation system that integrates design, simulation, and testing.

 

 

Expert Roundtable

Discussing Collaboration Across the Entire Value Chain

 

This forum invited industry experts representing three categories—associations, turbine manufacturers, and project owners—to deliver keynote presentations. The event focused on collaboration across the entire wind power industry value chain—from front-end R&D and application, to mid-end equipment manufacturing, to back-end O&M integration—and featured discussions centered on reliability challenges in large-megawatt turbines.

 

Innovative Solutions
Empowering Efficient Wind Power O&M

During SKF’s Solutions Sharing Session, several SKF experts delivered a series of specialized presentations covering topics such as wind turbine bearing product solutions, aftermarket O&M services, intelligent monitoring and maintenance, research on main shaft bearing runout issues, and gearbox planetary bearing technology. These presentations offered multi-dimensional solutions—spanning hardware products, digital monitoring, and on-site services—to help customers transition from reactive repair to predictive maintenance.
A technical exhibition booth was set up concurrently with the event, showcasing four core exhibits: Smart Rollers: Integrating sensing, monitoring, and data analysis to monitor load, temperature, and rotational speed in real time, providing early risk warnings, reducing downtime, and optimizing maintenance. Ceramic Ball Bearings: Featuring ceramic rolling elements, these bearings offer low friction, high rotational speeds, and wear resistance, along with heat dissipation and energy efficiency. They also provide electrical insulation to resist electrical erosion and extend bearing service life. Insulated Bearings: Utilizing special insulating coatings or insulating structural designs to interrupt shaft current loops, these bearings prevent electrical erosion, grease degradation, and premature failure. Suitable for wind power, new energy, and variable-frequency equipment, they enhance reliability. Ring Runout Sensors: These sensors monitor micro-displacements at the contact surfaces between the inner and outer rings in real time, providing early warnings of ring runout failure risks. This helps prevent component wear and major downtime incidents, enabling predictive maintenance.

 

 

Riding the Wind Together, Building Trust for Mutual Success. In this era of larger wind turbines, equipment reliability and full lifecycle value have become key factors in industry competition. Moving forward, SKF will continue to strengthen its presence in China’s wind power market, remain committed to technological innovation, and leverage its comprehensive capabilities in materials, simulation, testing, intelligent monitoring, and on-site services to focus on enhancing the reliability of the drivetrain. Together with industry partners, SKF will work in unison to empower the high-quality development of the new energy sector.