Simon, you work in the wind sector for over 10 years. The industry faces a boost it has never seen before. What impact will this have on the wind sector?
The construction of new OWF in the next decade implies a need for O&M service for plants and entire wind farms. The wind industry needs to restructure itself to coordinate the increased demands but a limited number of resources such as personnel and logistics. Here we see a big advantage being a manufacturer independent service provider. By building clusters with different wind farms of different technologies our service teams and tooling can be shared between locations.
There will be a great demand for spare parts soon. What is your answer to this?
We have our own warehouse with thousands of spare parts, including major components and self-developed upgrades on stock so that downtimes of the WTGs are minimized. All these aspects lead to lower costs for O&M. We have seen in the past how entering a new market with our independent service changed the dynamic by challenging the OEMs on site.
Do you have specific motives for joining Deutsche Windtechnik?
A flexible environment is needed in the wind industry with structures that allow fast decisions. Deutsche Windtechnik offers just that. My focus lies especially on the growth of the company within the UK, ensuring a well-trained pool of service technicians with whom we provide a large range of multi-brand services for offshore wind farms - from the turbine all the way to the transition piece and foundation, the subsea inspection, the substation and other structures. I am convinced that our individual service concepts are appealing for operators and investors located in the UK.
A lot of different missions you are facing as a Business Development Manager in the UK, internally and externally. What makes you positive when starting your workday in the mornings?
I am very optimistic about the expansion of the offshore energy as this is not a target solely of the government set or the UK. Most of the people in UK but also elsewhere now see why green energy is more important than ever and the society puts pressure on the politics to suit action to the word. Among our team I feel the spirit. Each of us knows about her or his contribution to a healthy world we leave to the next generations. That motivates me to keep up the good work every single day.
You can meet Simon at Global Offshore Wind in Manchester (21.-22.06.2022).
Contact: Simon Wendt, s.wendt@deutsche-windtechnik.com or +44 131 230 0515.
