TenneT looks for cooperation in offshore O&M

TenneT, the grid operator in the Netherlands and parts of Germany, is looking at a new collaborative model for offshore maintenance given the rapid growth of infrastructure in the North Sea.

The company said today that by 2031 it expects to have implemented 17 offshore grid connections for carrying over 21 GW of offshore wind in the Dutch North Sea, while at the same time resources are becoming increasingly scarce and vessels cannot always be used efficiently.

"We notice that many parties are facing the same challenges as TenneT, which is why we want to investigate whether we can develop a new cooperation model,” said Erik Hiensch, in charge of Operations & Maintenance (O&M) offshore at TenneT. The aim is to achieve better efficiency by sharing vessels, personnel or materials.

As a first step, TenneT will hold an information meeting with wind farm and oil and gas operators on April 23 to gauge their interest in a collaborative model. “If there is enough interest, in the second phase we will discuss where, in case of cooperation, the most opportunities lie and what the practical, financial and legal sides look like to implement the plan," said Hiensch.

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