Blade Repair News

The offshore wind industry in the United States is growing exponentially, with multiple projects in the development stages off of the Atlantic coast. The total megawatt capacity of U.S. offshore wind farms is anticipated to reach 22,000 by 2030 and 43,000 by 2050. To support this growth, U.S. Department of Energy reports estimate over 40,000 new jobs will be created by 2030.The new jobs anticipated to support the offshore wind industry include a wide range of types, including engineers, trade workers, surveyors, scientists, technicians, managers, and seafarers.

The offshore wind industry in the United States is growing exponentially, with multiple projects in the development stages off of the Atlantic coast. The total megawatt capacity of U.S. offshore wind farms is anticipated to reach 22,000 by 2030 and 43,000 by 2050. To support this growth, U.S. Department of Energy reports estimate over 40,000 new jobs will be created by 2030.The new jobs anticipated to support the offshore wind industry include a wide range of types, including engineers, trade workers, surveyors, scientists, technicians, managers, and seafarers.

UK's East coast port , Port of Blyth, said that it is installing a bespoke wind turbine training facility at its Bates terminal as part of a GBP1mln investment in training provision aimed at the offshore energy sector. This is a first for the UK wind industry.With the rapid growth of renewable energy providing the North East with major inward investment opportunities, the skills gap that currently exists in the sector is a key barrier to growth.This investment has enabled the Port of Blyth, through its award winning training arm Port Training Services, to purchase, modify and install a Vestas V47 turbine, develop a dedicated training…

The provider of of topside, offshore and subsea marine services and solutions James Fisher Marine Services (JFMS) has announced that its innovative offshore support vessel, Dart Fisher, has returned to sea following refurbishment at the Alicat Workboats shipyard in Great Yarmouth.The British provider of marine engineering services provider said in a press note that the £35,000 investment was timed to coincide with up and coming operations and maintenance (O&M) charter requirements to ensure that the Dart Fisher is ready to mobilise at short notice.Scott Plank, marine manager at JFMS, said: “It is vital for James Fisher Marine Services…

MPI Contractors B.V. has signed a contract with Eneco Windmolens Offshore B.V. to provide offshore transport and lifting services during main component replacements planned for wind turbines in the Prinses Amaliawindpark. This Agreement, which will take effect on 1 January 2018, is for a period of five years, with options to extend for a further three and two years. During this period, MPI will mobilise one of its wind turbine installation vessels (WTIVs) for two planned campaigns per year. Operations will involve the exchange of main components, such as gearbox, generator, transformer, blade and/or blade bearing. MPI competed in a European tender procedure that commenced in April this year. Award of this contract was based on the MPI submission scoring best on price and quality.

CWind, an  integrated service provider in the offshore wind industry, has announced that it supplied Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs) to assist with blade repair operations at the offshore wind farm for E.ON, the wind farm site owner at Robin Rigg.  For E.ON, CWind supplied a MPC19 vessel and the SWATH Endurance. The MPC19 benefits from having a low operating draft, which makes it equipped to operate in the shallow waters at the Robin Rigg site, while the SWATH Endurance enables technician transfer in rougher seas. CWind said it has extensive experience in the maintenance and support of offshore wind farms and, in recent years, has undertaken contracts with other clients for similar work at Lincs, Rhyl flats and Lynn & Inner Dowsing offshore wind farms.

In the Middle East there has been a level of shipbuilding infrastructure investment unmatched, with companies such as N-KOM in Qatar among the leaders. N-KOM CEO Abu Bakar Mohd Nor shares his insights on growth & opportunity in the Middle East. When you look at the expanse of your operations, what do you count as the primary strength of your company? One of the most important strengths N-KOM has apart from its strong parentage is being strategically located in Qatar, the world’s leading exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and at the heart of the Arabian Gulf…

DNV GL and the wind turbine blade manufacturer Sinoma signed a partnership agreement for certification of Sinoma’s products to improve the reliability and quality of blades manufactured in China. Certification ensures that turbines that use blades produced by Sinoma comply to international safety and reliability standards throughout their lifespan, in onshore and offshore wind applications. As wind turbines increase in size, the failure of key components as rotor blades can lead to significant losses for the different stakeholders involved. “Turbine manufacturers constantly work on improving quality and reliability of wind turbine components such as rotor blades and gearboxes for example,” explains Daniel Hein, Country Manager China for Renewables Certification, DNV GL.