Deutsche Windtechnik is expanding its global service portfolio in October 2020 to include a further manufacturer technology: Mitsubishi wind turbines will be included in turbine service for the first time. The agreement between subsidiaries of Leeward Renewable Energy LLC and Deutsche Windtechnik Inc. (USA) comprises 564 wind turbines. The integration of the new technology is an important step for Deutsche Windtechnik and further expands the company's market presence in the USA.
The contract covers almost half of the Mitsubishi 1000 and Mitsubishi 1000A wind turbines installed in the US. The turbines are located at five wind farms operated by Leeward: Caprock and Aragonne Mesa (both in New Mexico), Buena Vista (California), Sweetwater (Texas) and Cedar Creek (Colorado). Sweetwater and Cedar Creek make up the largest share of the five locations with a total output of 336 MW.
Melf Lorenzen, Managing Director of Deutsche Windtechnik Inc., emphasised the importance of this step for the company: "These new contracts are an important milestone for us in the US because they mean that we will be expanding our service to additional states. At the same time, we are delighted that we have been entrusted with providing service for this new technology." Jason Allen, interim CEO at Leeward Renewable Energy, said: "At Leeward we are committed to the highest level of safety, reliability and performance at our wind farms, and we appreciate having a strong partner like Deutsche Windtechnik at our side to achieve these goals. We look forward to expanding our cooperation and working together to reduce energy costs by improving the performance of our turbines."
The operator and the independent service provider have been working together for some time. In 2019, Deutsche Windtechnik and Leeward Renewable Energy signed a service contract for 81 Siemens 2.3 turbines in Texas. Prior to Deutsche Windtechnik receiving the order to provide maintenance at these locations in May 2020, the company's team of specialists had successfully carried out an endoscopy inspection campaign on the main bearings of seven Mitsubishi 1000 turbines. Despite the difficult circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the time-sensitive project was completed on schedule.
New regional service stations and extensive recruiting campaign
Deutsche Windtechnik will gradually assume responsibility for the new locations in the US over a period of two months, starting with the Sweetwater 4A wind farm (Texas) at the beginning of October. The contract will drive strong growth for Deutsche Windtechnik in the US, including new service offices, additional equipment, new service vehicles and more than 115 new employees. In particular, the technical team will be enlarged, but the company will also be hiring new employees in the areas of operations management and administration. Deutsche Windtechnik will be working closely with Leeward Renewable Energy to improve and expand the service infrastructure and ensure that work runs smoothly at the five new wind farms that Deutsche Windtechnik is taking responsibility for.
New turbine technology confirms the added value of the independent service provider
The new contracts are not just a milestone for Deutsche Windtechnik Inc. but also significant for the entire Deutsche Windtechnik Group. Matthias Brandt, Director of Deutsche Windtechnik AG, said: "We subject every request to a detailed evaluation together with the customer until we have defined all potential challenges and obstacles in advance. This is a key factor for our success and enables us to always offer the customer the best solution."
