Turnkey operations and maintenance (O&M) services on OFTO assets at Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm

EDS has entered into a 15-year partnership agreement with Equitix – a leading investor, developer and long-term fund manager of core infrastructure and energy-efficiency assets in the UK and Europe.

Work involves the provision of O&M services on Equitix’s OFTO assets at Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm, located in Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK.

The challenge

• Equitix required a team of multi-skilled engineers and technicians to provide a full turnkey solution for two offshore platforms, as well as the onshore substation and grid connection at the 500MW wind farm.

• To avoid downtime and loss of revenue, a balance had to be struck between network availability and the application of an appropriate maintenance regime.
• An innovative approach was required to meet the challenges presented by the project, as was the ability to simultaneously build and maintain a long-term partnership.
• O&M services were required to manage Equitix’s offshore/onshore substation HV transmission assets, in addition to their offshore/onshore substation ancillary equipment.

The solution

• EDS takes ownership of the entire asset management programme, and has designed a strategy that strikes a balance between robust maintenance and minimised downtime to ensure optimal asset availability.
• EDS takes responsibility for maintenance outside of the company’s core capabilities, hiring third parties through robust vetting and approval procedures, before conducting an extensive induction and monitoring process.
• The team monitor the network 24/7 from the EDS control centre in the event of any outages, and has access to a state-of-the-art marine management system, OWMS, to mobilise as needed.

The results and benefits

• Any outages are quickly identified from the control centre, with engineers on standby 24/7.
• Using the marine management system, OWMS, teams can be transported out to assets quickly and safely.
• By utilising multi-skilled engineers who are qualified to work on various tasks, EDS has reduced the number of offshore visits, mitigating costs and environmental impact while also improving safety.