As Global Business Development Manager Wind Energy for TÜV Rheinland, Frank Witte is well-known throughout the industry. We secured a few minutes with the busy executive and asked him about the state of the sector, the value of technical expertise and certification challenges…
PES: Welcome to the magazine. Before we get into the main issues of the day, can you explain a little about your organisation and how you serve the wind industry?
Frank Witte: At TÜV Rheinland we aim to become a one-stop-shop for the wind industry. This means: a full service provider with state-of-the-art technology and refined, as well as efficient, processes.
PES: TÜV Rheinland is a massive global organisation. What are your thoughts on the ‘health’ of the wind market both worldwide and in Europe?
FW: Western Europe, especially, is facing hard times. Experts expect the baseline of the decline for instance in Spain by 2015/2016, with a very limited number of new wind farm projects.
However, the existing installed capacity can provide a lot of chances for players in the wind sector. We are looking at opportunities in maintenance, inspection and analysis, for example. On the other hand, overall prospects for business are good in the rising Eastern European markets like Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, or Ukraine.
We believe that all markets will recover over time but we do expect a consolidation in the field of manufacturers. This will mean a decrease in the number of companies, of course.
PES: The organisation has been around for 140 years. When did you begin focussing on the wind industry, and is it a growing business sector for you?
FW: We started our activities in the wind sector in the year 2000. This is one of the growth drivers for renewable energies globally and for TÜV Rheinland in particular. One reason for this is also our global network – 500 locations in 65 countries worldwide. We think TÜV Rheinland is well placed to contribute to the development of wind energy to a considerable extent.
PES: How do the services you offer differ for different stakeholders within the industry?
FW: Within the whole range of services along the value chain we deliver specific services for the different groups of clients. Here is an example for offshore/onshore wind energy: in the offshore segment, various specific qualifications have to be in place (e.g. safety qualification issues for marine application); TÜV Rheinland experts fulfil the necessary requirements and thereby help make possible a secure and safe performance of related offshore work – which is of utmost importance for the reliability and the general acceptance of the offshore energy industry.
Beyond the practical technical expertise we also offer a wide range of dedicated training courses and seminars for people working in the industry.
PES: One of your core business streams is helping others maintain standards. How do you maintain your own standards and ensure consistency?
FW: For 140 years TÜV Rheinland has been dealing with standards, norms and regulations. Because of our expertise in this field are also involved in developing standards.
TÜV Rheinland holds more than 100 accreditations, spread over all our business fields. These accreditations are being monitored frequently by the responsible accreditation bodies which ensures that our processes work they way they should. Out internal auditing system also contributes to smooth operating procedures. All in all we aim at delivering premium quality services.
