The Spain-based wind turbine manufacturer will provide operation and maintenance of the £1.6bn offshore wind project as part of a five-year contract awarded by the Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm (GGOWL).
As per the terms of the contract, Siemens Gamesa will be responsible for the scheduled servicing, troubleshooting and technical support to the 140 turbines of the SWT-3.6-107 range installed at the wind farm.
Siemens Gamesa’s new contract is an extension of the service work it has been providing at the wind farm since 2013.
The Spanish firm will carry out onshore round-the-clock monitoring and diagnostics of all the wind turbines from its control room in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Service CEO Mark Albenze said: “This five-year extension underscores our commitment to providing customers with value-driven service plans targeted to their specific operational needs and complemented with our advanced digital services that help drive down the costs associated with wind energy.”
Located 23km off the Suffolk coast, the Greater Gabbard wind farm was opened in August 2013. It generates enough renewable energy for about 530,000 homes through three export cables of 45kms each.
The wind farm was developed by a joint venture formed by Fluor International and Airtricity which was later acquired by Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE).
Fluor divested its 50% stake in the joint venture dubbed Greater Gabbard Offshore Winds to Airtricity after completing the development phase and taking up the construction contract.
Image: One of the wind turbines of Greater Gabbard, manufactured by Siemens. Photo: courtesy of Siemens plc.
