Vattenfall blade repair contract

James Fisher Marine Services (JFMS) has landed a contract to deliver specialist blade maintenance and repair services for turbines on Vattenfall wind farms across Northern Europe. 

The two-year contract, which covers nearly 50 onshore and offshore wind farms, will ensure the ongoing operational effectiveness and safety of over 900 onshore and offshore wind turbines by providing blade maintenance and repair on turbines in the UK, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden.  

JFMS is one of three firms involved in the framework agreement alongside GEV Wind Power and Danish Blade Service, with the team’s specialist blade-repair subsidiary, Rotos 360, taking centre stage responsibility for inspection, repair and maintenance of the turbine blades to help optimise wind farm performance.  

‘Since James Fisher’s acquisition of Rotos 360, which comprises a team of highly-skilled and experienced specialists offering industry-leading complex blade repair services, we have been helping to optimise the topside performance of offshore wind projects all around the UK,’

says John Galliford, operations director at Rotos 360.   

‘The cornerstone of this has been the use of the latest innovations available to the industry, incorporating the deployment of platforms, advanced use of composite technology and the ability to offer seamless marine solutions, in a bid to better identify and repair damage, excessive wear and other potential issues that can affect the performance of wind turbine blades.’   

The UK government’s Offshore Wind Sector Deal established in 2019 defined specific targets regarding offshore wind deployment to encourage the creation of tens of thousands of jobs and the employment of a diverse and skilled workforce. As JFMS has bases in Lowestoft and Grimsby, this agreement with Vattenfall is expected to help support job creation in the East Anglia and Humber regions of the UK.  

Danielle Lane, Vattenfall’s UK country manager, explains:  

‘Our collaboration with GEV Wind Power and JFMS, both based in the east of England, demonstrates our commitment to enable the untapped potential of UK companies in the renewables sector to be realised, and boosts local employment and economic regeneration.’    

‘We’re delighted to be part of this framework agreement. Vattenfall is one of the world’s leading renewable energy developers and we’re looking forward to working towards meeting Vattenfall’s fossil-free targets over the coming two years,' 

says Giovanni Corbetta, managing director at JFMS.