The contract includes the inspection and maintenance of the 49 jacket foundations of the wind turbines and the transformer substation, together with the monopile foundations of the measurement mast. The maintenance work will be carried out from the island of Heligoland commencing in summer 2014. RWE Innogy is currently constructing a two-storey operations and maintenance base there, together with a control room from which the Nordsee Ost offshore wind farm will be managed. 

“In Fabricom we are pleased to have found an expert partner for our first wind farm off the German coast," said Marcel Sunier, project director for the Nordsee Ost wind farm at RWE Innogy. “The cost of maintaining foundations and wind turbines at sea is high because the stresses caused by waves and salt water are significantly higher at sea than on land. A good downstream logistics network and, in particular, expert service engineers are therefore a key requirement for ensuring reliable and cost-effective operations at sea."

With a proactive approach to maintenance, the partners intend to ensure a high level of operational reliability and availability throughout the entire lifecycle of the Nordsee Ost offshore wind farm. “Contributing to the sustainable development of renewable energy sources in a manner that is safe for both people and the environment has become a matter of priority for our company," said Stanley Maas, CEO Fabricom Offshore Services BV. "For this reason, we are very proud that this long-term maintenance contract has been awarded to Fabricom Offshore Services."