The wind energy industry is facing big challenges because the global agenda for climate protection and the energy transition will require a significant expansion of wind energy. The competitive environment to provide the best and most cost-efficient service concept also directly affects maintenance. Companies like Deutsche Windtechnik that operate across national borders have a clear advantage in this respect: they can leverage experience from different markets and transfer knowledge to other countries.
Diversity, change and renewal have always characterised the global wind market. Wind energy is country-specific, so it is directly determined by national economic and political framework conditions. The differences are also reflected in different service cultures: while service is still firmly under the control of manufacturers in some markets, in others, service provided by independent maintenance companies (ISP) is well established. “In Spain, for example, subsidies have been discontinued and we have been operating a successful service business there for years under completely different conditions to those in the German market, which is regulated by the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG),” said Matthias Brandt, Director at Deutsche Windtechnik. “Since Germany switched over to the tender system, we can benefit from the international scope of our experience. The first offshore wind farms now have to be operated completely without subsidies, so it is more important than ever to adapt to this development innovatively in the area of service. We are currently doing just that.”
International positioning pays off
Matthias Brandt clearly sees Deutsche Windtechnik’s presence in Europe, the UK, the USA and Taiwan as a great opportunity in the industry-wide change process.
“We collect and analyse our experiences in national markets and then transfer that knowledge to other markets. This enables us to avoid mistakes and provide early answers to questions whose relevance has not yet been fully realised in the respective target markets.”
Our employees are also deployed across national borders in various projects. Depending on the qualification, requirement profile and initial situation of the project, this enables a high degree of agility coupled with optimal utilisation of personnel.
Consolidation continues in the industry
The technology that we provide service for is also changing more rapidly than ever. With the introduction of “multi-branding”, competition to provide service is now also taking place between manufacturers. “But manufacturers are trying to lock the competition out by using artificial obstacles in their new systems,” Matthias Brandt said. At the same time, numerous operators are positioning themselves for service by making appropriate acquisitions. “Everyone is pursuing their own agenda. Some operators are buying up specialised expertise, for example by acquiring an independent maintenance provider.” Meanwhile, the few ‘real’ ISPs still in the market have expanded to both meet requirements and further ensure their independence. “ As an ISP with international service expertise, we will make an important contribution to ensuring that wind energy is an available, competitive and economical part of the energy transition,” continued Matthias Brandt.