COE - ROPEWORKS® | Rope Access Instrumental in Launching Offshore Wind Farm

Ropeworks® COE blade technicians, Kevin Thompson and Alex Steel, in partnership with the Danish company AX-S, were deployed off the coast of Scotland in the summer of 2010 to perform inspections and repairs at Robin Rigg wind farm. The new 180MW project, employing sixty V90 Vestas turbines, is one of UK's largest offshore wind farms and powers 120,000 homes.

According to Patrick Murphy, Ropeworks® COE's veteran blade specialist, the team's primary objective was to inspect and repair minor blade damages typically caused during initial transport and installation. Rope access proved especially cost-effective offshore because minimal equipment requirements and efficient mobilization allowed the team to work in marginal weather windows and eliminate the need for expensive barge cranes.



Prior to mobilization, Kevin and Alex underwent two weeks of project-specific training including an offshore survival course, which included learning how to escape from a capsized boat, survival swimming, fire control methods and emergency structure evacuation. Once ready for work, the team quickly found the inclement weather, even for Scottish standards, to be the limiting factor. "For the first five weeks the weather was so bad the project was invisible from eight miles onshore," Kevin noted. During brief weather windows, the team worked long days to complete the inspections and repairs, giving them an opportunity to enjoy both sunrise and sunsets in the spectacular offshore location. Ropeworks® COE is looking forward to supporting similar projects planned for North America and beyond.



Ropeworks® COE Techs off the Coast of Scotland Performing Inspections

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