Understand
Life as an offshore wind turbine worker in the North Sea
Overview
An inside look at the daily operations of maintenance crews working on the Westermost Rough offshore wind farm in the North Sea, operated by Orsted. Technicians like Sam Torrance face physical challenges such as climbing 300ft turbine towers and transferring safely from vessels in varying weather conditions to troubleshoot and maintain the 35 gigantic turbines that generate electricity for over 180,000 homes.
Key points
- The Westermost Rough wind farm, located off the coast of Withernsea, features 35 turbines operated by Orsted and generates enough electricity for over 180,000 homes.
- Maintenance technicians like Sam Torrance use data sent back to shore to diagnose faults, troubleshoot issues, and perform routine servicing before winter weather arrives.
- Transferring from crew transfer vessels to the turbines requires strict safety protocols, pushing against access ladders and utilizing fall-arrest systems.
- Climbing up to 300ft turbine towers is physically demanding, especially when built-in lifts are out of use.
- Orsted recently conducted successful trials using large cargo drones to deliver spare parts and tools directly to offshore turbines.