The independent service provider has signed a long-term service agreement for five additional U.S. wind farms, setting another milestone
In October 2020, Deutsche Windtechnik adds a further wind turbine technology to its global service portfolio. For the first time, Deutsche Windtechnik will provide service for Mitsubishi wind turbine generators (WTGs). A major service contract comprised of 564 WTGs was signed between affiliates of Leeward Renewable Energy LLC and Deutsche Windtechnik Inc. The large-scale integration of this new technology is an important step for Deutsche Windtechnik as it continues to build its U.S. presence.
The contract encompasses almost half of all Mitsubishi 1000 and Mitsubishi 1000A wind turbines installed in the U.S. The turbines are located at five Leeward wind farms: Caprock and Aragonne Mesa (New Mexico), Buena Vista (California), Sweetwater (Texas) and Cedar Creek (Colorado). Sweetwater and Cedar Creek are the largest of the five sites, with a capacity of 336 MW.
Melf Lorenzen, Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Windtechnik Inc., emphasized the importance of this development: “These new agreements are an important milestone for our U.S. business unit as we continue to expand our service into new states. At the same time, we are delighted to be entrusted with a new wind turbine technology on such a large scale.” Jason Allen, Interim CEO at Leeward Renewable Energy said: “At Leeward, we are committed to achieving the highest levels of safety, reliability and performance at our wind farms and value a strong partner, like Deutsche Windtechnik, to help us achieve these goals. We look forward to expanding our relationship and working together to lower the cost of energy by enhancing the performance of our assets.”
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 agreement for 81 Siemens 2.3 turbines in Texas. Prior to being awarded the contract for operation and maintenance (O&M) of these sites in May 2020, Deutsche Windtechnik’s team of specialists successfully carried out a series of borescope inspections on the main bearings of seven Mitsubishi 1000 turbines. The time-sensitive service request was completed on schedule, despite the challenging circumstances due to the COVID19-pandemic.
New regional service stations and extensive recruiting campaign
Deutsche Windtechnik Inc. will assume responsibility for the sites step by step over a period of two months. First in line will be Sweetwater 4A in Texas in early October. The contract will promote tremendous growth for Deutsche Windtechnik in the U.S., including new service offices, a broader stock of tooling and service vehicles, and more than 115 additional employees. Most of these will be technical positions, but there will also be some operations management and administration positions. To ensure the success of each of the projects, the service infrastructure for the five wind farms will be further developed and expanded in close cooperation with Leeward Renewable Energy.
New technology proves effectiveness of independent service approach
The new contracts are a milestone, not only for Deutsche Windtechnik Inc. but also for the entire Deutsche Windtechnik Group. Matthias Brandt, Director of Deutsche Windtechnik AG, said: “We always evaluate incoming requests thoroughly together with the customer until we have addressed all potential challenges and obstacles ahead of time. This is a key element for our success and enables us to consistently deliver the best solution for our customers.”
