Global Wind Service (GWS), appointed by RWE to establish dedicated teams under the developer’s new Fleet Servicing model, said on 6 August that the first phase was completed at the Amrumbank West offshore wind farm in Germany, where the Fleet Servicing Team now entered the next phase of operations.

In February 2024, RWE announced it would establish an initial 30-person dedicated Fleet Servicing Team for its five UK and German operational offshore wind farms. The company signed a three-year agreement with GWS to provide expert team leads and technicians to work with RWE’s existing operations and maintenance teams. RWE signed an 18-month contract with Rem Offshore/Rem Purus to provide the service operation vessel (SOV) Rem Wind to support the offshore wind’s fleet servicing.

Under the Fleet Servicing model, RWE’s teams will operate 24/7 and remain on board the SOV for 14 days at a time, enabling up to 500 services each year.

On 6 August, GWS said the initial phase at Amrumbank West saw the formation of a dedicated RWE/GWS team and an intensive eight-week training programme that focused on safety, efficiency, and technical skills, preparing the team to excel in the demanding field of wind turbine service.

“Our vision is to work and feel as one team. It is a collaborative, open-door policy where we can share and promote our safe working ethos, actively grow our combined safety culture, and set a new benchmark in Offshore Wind safety standards”, said Thorsten Helweg, Service Director at GWS.

The Amrumbank West offshore wind farm is located in the German exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the North Sea, around 35 kilometres north of the island of Heligoland and 37 kilometres west of the North Frisian island of Amrum.

The 302 MW offshore wind farm, which comprises 80 Siemens wind turbines, was commissioned in October 2015.