Deutsche Windtechnik is seeing strong growth in the number of Senvion turbines under contract. Service contracts have been signed for 110 additional turbines at 32 wind farms since the beginning of the year, ranging from type MM92 to type 6.2M. The onshore wind farms are located in Germany, Belgium, France and the UK and include a wide range of turbine types of all technology generations. Deutsche Windtechnik’s total portfolio of Senvion wind turbines now comprises 2,446 MW. This development is the result of the increasing global demand for the comprehensive services provided by Deutsche Windtechnik, which include technical support and spare parts management.
69 of the wind turbines recently contracted are located in Germany, Belgium and France, and most of them receive full maintenance. They have already been seamlessly integrated into Deutsche Windtechnik’s service network. Support for service for a further 41 wind turbines in the UK is provided by the German business unit.
Half of the newly covered systems in Germany are operated by STAWAG Energie GmbH, a 100% subsidiary of Stadtwerke Aachen Aktiengesellschaft. Regarding the new cooperation, Stefan Keutgen, Head of Technical Operations Management at STAWAG Energie GmbH, said: “We have had an excellent working relationship for a long time, and thanks to the full maintenance provided by Deutsche Windtechnik, our wind turbines achieve a very high availability. We also find good solutions together for more complex questions. One example is the project we are planning, to replace a yaw gearbox using a helicopter. This will allow us to avoid having to set up a large crane, which is expensive and time-consuming.”
Deutsche Windtechnik’s French country unit now manages 87 turbines. This means it has almost doubled its Senvion portfolio. The full maintenance contracts mainly cover Senvion MM92 series turbines that are located at a number of onshore locations in continental France and Belgium. Deutsche Windtechnik SARL cooperates closely with the German unit to provide the services defined by the contracts, leveraging existing infrastructure and expertise to the greatest extent possible to benefit the customer.
Worldwide services go beyond conventional maintenance
Deutsche Windtechnik’s most recent cooperations do not just include conventional service activities relating to wind turbines: The independent maintenance provider also offers monitoring and technical support for Senvion system technology. During the past few months, individual contracts have been signed to supply spare parts to all regions of the world. Jörg Fuchs, Head of Sales at Deutsche Windtechnik X-Service, thinks that Deutsche Windtechnik’s role is changing: “Recent developments in the wind industry are a challenge for all market participants. We are seeing a huge increase in demand in all service areas, such as the fast delivery of spare parts or technical support. We are taking over some of the responsibilities that used to be the domain of the manufacturer. In order to be able to respond to the increased demand from markets where we do not have our own service structures yet, we set up the Team International Services (TIS), which consists of support technicians and engineers with extensive knowledge of Senvion wind turbines.”
Technology expertise for all generations of Senvion systems
Deutsche Windtechnik has teams of technology experts for all types of Senvion systems, including its recently introduced Next Electrical System (NES) full converter system as well as turbines that are installed offshore. Many of the employees involved in operating business activities have a wealth of technical knowledge, especially due to their many years of professional experience and regular training on the turbines at the in-house Training Center. There is also a lively exchange of experience and knowledge between Deutsche Windtechnik’s technical support department, the control technology department and customer support.
