Cadeler and Vattenfall have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly explore new operations and maintenance (O&M) solutions for offshore wind, with a focus on Major Component Exchange (MCE) capabilities.
“The offshore wind industry is entering a new phase, with a growing installed base and increasingly complex maintenance needs. This collaboration gives us an opportunity to combine complementary expertise and explore new approaches to Main Component Exchange, helping shape more efficient and scalable O&M solutions for the assets of tomorrow”, said Jacob Christian Gregersen, Chief Growth Officer at Cadeler.
The collaboration will be carried out through Cadeler’s dedicated offshore wind service platform Nexra and will combine the companies’ operational expertise, service methodologies and long-term planning to explore approaches to offshore turbine maintenance.
Cadeler and Vattenfall will examine concepts aimed at improving the efficiency, safety and scalability of MCE activities across different turbine platforms. The companies said the collaboration reflects the growing importance of specialised major component exchange capabilities as the global offshore wind fleet expands and turbines enter the later stages of their operating lives.
“Every major component exchange comes with significant cost, complexity and lost generation. Through this collaboration, we want to explore smarter approaches that support safe and reliable operations, improve long-term asset performance and reduce lifecycle costs, helping to keep offshore wind an affordable source of fossil-free electricity”, said Pavlo Malyshenko, Head of Generation, Offshore Wind at Vattenfall.
The two companies have previously worked together on the construction of Vattenfall’s 1.5 GW Hollandse Kust Zuid offshore wind farm in the Netherlands, where Cadeler’s Wind Osprey installed the project’s 140 Siemens Gamesa 11 MW turbines.