Nordic Wind Solutions

In the right market, at the right time

More new wind power capacity was installed in the European Union in 2009 than any other electricity-generating technology. According to the European Wind Energy Association, investment in new wind farms on the continent last year reached €13 billion, with 10,163 MW of wind power capacity installed.

It is safe to say then, that Nordic Wind Solutions (NWS) is in the right market at the right time. The wind farm industry is expanding across the globe and with this growth comes the need for competent and highly skilled service companies to partner with wind turbine suppliers and wind farm developers.

Product offering

For the past 10 years, members of NWS have been involved in the installation and transportation of hundreds of wind turbines from many different suppliers, including Siemens, Nordex, Vestas, GE Wind, and Enercon. Operating one of the most diverse crane and transportation fleets in the wind power industry they have been able to provide a wide selection of specialized trailers and cranes, offering hauling services and logistic management for large- and small-scale projects to move components of extreme weights and non-traditional dimensions.

But Nordic Wind Solutions is not just another crane, rigging and transportation company. Since the end of 2009, they have used their equipment and technical expertise to build renewable power facilities and provide turnkey solutions to wind turbine installation needs by streamlining wind farm development and maintenance, and eliminating the need for numerous subcontractors.

It was only logical that a company with a background in cranes and heavy lifting expertise came in contact with the wind power industry, and then decided to take it a step further. “When you put up those wind turbines you need big cranes, and [we] came from a background of cranes and heavy lifting,” explains Henri Saffer, Managing Director of NWS. “We wanted to provide the cranes, the erection, the installation, the transportation, and everything that comes along with wind farm production. We provide turnkey solutions, the whole package for our customers.”

From their position in the crane industry, NWS’s founders saw the vast potential in the wind industry. As the European Union set renewable energy targets for the next 50 years, it seemed like a noticeable space in the market was opening up. Boasting among its advantages the fact that NWS supplies its own heavy equipment, skilled human resources and project management, thus minimizing standard construction and transportation delays, it seemed only reasonable that they stepped in to fill that void.

Focusing on the whole chain

“Our services are not unique, you can find everything out there,” says Saffer. “But if [customers] choose the package of our services they will minimize the need for numerous subcontractors, one invoice instead of 60. They will have one contact that will accept responsibility for the whole chain.”

Focusing on the whole chain ensures that, as a project moves forward, NWS will attach an experienced, full-time project manager to the project to make sure no detail is missed. This will guarantee that all of the equipment and personnel will be coordinated safely and efficiently to complete the project.

NWS has established main offices in Sweden and also in Denmark, but are ready to stretch across Europe to go where wind farms are needed. “It does not matter if it is way up north or down in Spain and Italy,” says Saffer. “Our crane staff are used to being sent all over the place. We have tender offers for projects all around Europe.”

No more can be said about these projects until negotiations are finished, but Saffer can share that NWS has put offers in on more than 100 wind power turbine projects, including six small ones in Sweden. He adds: “The goal for our first year is to put up at least 100 wind turbines.”

But as a newcomer in the market, NWS still has the unenviable task of convincing the customers that they can take care of the job. “We have already built up many relationships for many years and now we are trying to convince them that we have something that could be an advantage for them, in terms of being able to provide the whole turnkey solution,” explains Saffer. “We do not have many competitors that can. We have the experience, the competence and the engineers. It is all here. It is just a matter of building up the relationships.”

Renewable energy targets

One relationship that NWS has started off on the right foot is with UK-based ALE, the international heavy transporting and lifting firm that they have just signed a corporation agreement with. “They can provide the big lifting equipment that we do not have,” Saffer explains. “They have received inquiries from customers about wind farm construction so, in incorporating together, we can do it as a joint venture.”

Since 2009 was the second successive year that renewable energies have accounted for the majority of new investments, with wind’s share of newly installed capacity increasing from 35 per cent to 29 per cent since the year before, Nordic Wind Solutions is clearly well-placed to help the European Union achieve its renewable energy targets over the next decades.

www.nwsab.com