Fabricom secures maintenance contract for foundations of RWE Innogy’s offshore wind farm

Dutch firm Fabricom Offshore Services has been commissioned by RWE Innogy to provide maintenance services for the foundations of the Nordsee Ost offshore wind farm.

The four-year contract covers inspection and maintenance of the 49 jacket foundations of the wind turbines and the transformer substation, together with the monopile foundations of the measurement mast.

Starting summer 2014, Fabricom will carry out maintenance work from the island of Heligoland.

RWE Innogy has already started work a two-storey operations and maintenance base, as well as a control room, from which the wind farm will be managed.

RWE Innogy project director for the Nordsee Ost wind farm Marcel Sunier said the cost of maintaining foundations and wind turbines at sea is high because the stresses caused by waves and salt water are significantly higher at sea than on land.

“A good downstream logistics network and, in particular, expert service engineers are therefore a key requirement for ensuring reliable and cost-effective operations at sea,” added Sunier.

“In Fabricom we are pleased to have found an expert partner for our first wind farm off the German coast.”

Fabricom Offshore Services CEO Stanley Maas said, “Contributing to the sustainable development of renewable energy sources in a manner that is safe for both people and the environment has become a matter of priority for our company

“For this reason we are very proud that this long-term maintenance contract has been awarded to Fabricom Offshore Services, which is in line with our chosen strategy to develop ourselves into a maintenance partner for the offshore wind industry.”

The 295MW Nordsee Ost offshore wind farm, which is due for completion in spring 2015, will power around 300,000 households with electricity each year.

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Image: Starting summber 2014, Fabricom will carry out maintenance work from the island of Heligoland. Photo: courtesy of RWE Innogy.