NEW ENERGY FROM DEUTSCHE WINDTECHNIK

After the opening of the new Deutsche Windtechnik BV office in IJmuiden in March 2020, the German company signed up as a member of Amsterdam IJmuiden Offshore Ports in June. Deutsche Windtechnik BV is a specialist in the turbine maintenance below and above water and the complete management of wind farms in Europe, the US and Taiwan. The Dutch head office of Deutsche Windtechnik BV is situated in Utrecht.

New IJmuiden location after major growth
Headquartered in Bremen (Germany), the Deutsche Windtechnik AG group has enjoyed significant growth in recent years. From 52 employees worldwide in 2007, the company had grown to 1,546 personnel by 2019, increasing its turnover from five to 165 million euros in the same period. The first Dutch location was opened in Utrecht in 2015 and, followed by Kruiningen (near Vlissingen) and the takeover of Outsmart, the group opened its fourth Dutch branch in IJmuiden in March 2020. Adjacent to existing clients and other AYOP members, the company has an office and warehouse on the quay from where it carries out inspections and maintenance & repair activities on onshore and offshore wind turbines.

Challenges for wind farm owners
“The development of the first subsidy-neutral offshore wind farms in the Netherlands and the fast growth of the Dutch wind market are driving a rapidly increasing demand for service and maintenance,” says Geert Timmers, director of Deutsche Windtechnik BV. “The challenge is to meet this demand with creative new service concepts.”

In addition to the Dutch market’s fast development, wind farmer owners are also confronted with low incomes due to the low power prices after the first ten or 15 years of operations. As a result, they are increasingly choosing to replace the existing range of wind farms on land. “We provide actual full-service concepts for inspection and maintenance in the offshore wind market,” adds Timmers. “By combining our activities in a smart way, we can provide custom inspections of all major elements of the balance of plant at low mobilisation costs.”

Services for over 5,000 wind turbines
Deutsche Windtechnik works on wind turbines on land and at sea, with a total of 5,280 under maintenance, including 400 offshore. Globally, it has 14 offshore projects in its portfolio, including the Dutch farms Eneco Luchterduinen, Prinses Amalia Windpark and Westermeerwind. In 2019 the company was responsible for the maintenance and inspection of over 1800 foundations along with the complete maintenance of six HOVS substations. Meanwhile, the demand for changing key components at sea increases every year – rising to 400 in 2019. From its base at OutSmart/OCC Emden, Deutsche Windtechnik realises the 24/7 power plant management of five wind farms, including Gemini.