Instead of Decommissioning: Alpha Ventus Offshore Wind Farm to Operate Longer – Deutsche Windtechnik Takes Over Service

Bremen – Deutsche Windtechnik will take over maintenance and servicing of the Alpha Ventus offshore wind farm in the North Sea from January 2027. Owner Ocean Breeze Energy has contracted the service provider to look after all twelve wind turbines, which have a combined capacity of 60 MW.

The first generation of European offshore wind farms is increasingly reaching an age at which operators must decide between decommissioning and extending operating lifetimes. While many turbines were originally designed for around 20 years of operation, technical condition assessments and adapted maintenance concepts can allow longer operation. Corresponding lifetime extensions have already been approved in several European countries.

Deutsche Windtechnik Takes Over Service for Twelve Offshore Wind Turbines

The service contract with Deutsche Windtechnik covers maintenance and servicing of the six Senvion 5M turbines and six Adwen turbines of the AD 5-116 type (formerly AREVA M5000), as well as technical support. From September 2027, remote monitoring, offshore coordination, grid management and alarm management available around the clock will be added. Ocean Breeze Energy will assume design responsibility.

Deutsche Windtechnik has already been servicing the six Senvion turbines since 2017. The six Adwen turbines, as they are known today, were added in early 2020.

With the new contract, the service provider is expanding its activities in the Borkum offshore cluster. From January 2027, Deutsche Windtechnik will service the Alpha Ventus, Riffgat and Trianel Windpark Borkum I offshore wind farms. Bundling the service activities is expected to enable shorter response times and more efficient dispatch planning, according to Deutsche Windtechnik.

After 2025 Decommissioning Decision: Ocean Breeze Energy Commits to Continued Operation

In May 2025, the then owners EWE, RWE and Vattenfall decided to decommission the Alpha Ventus offshore wind farm, which was officially commissioned in 2010. After Ocean Breeze Energy took over the wind farm in October 2026, the strategy changed: the new owner intends to continue operating the turbines beyond the originally planned 20 years of operation.

Ocean Breeze Energy is owned by funds managed by Macquarie Asset Management. The company already operates the BARD Offshore 1 offshore wind farm, which has a capacity of 400 MW and 80 wind turbines. According to the company, Ocean Breeze Energy is drawing on its experience with older wind turbines and on synergies with its existing offshore portfolio for the continued operation of Alpha Ventus. A specific new operating period has not yet been specified.

Offshore Wind Farms: Denmark and the Netherlands Extend Operating Periods

Lifetime extensions already approved in several European countries show what additional operating periods are possible for older offshore wind farms.

According to the international research programme IEA Wind 2025, five offshore wind farms in Denmark were approved for additional operating periods of 10 to 25 years. These include the Horns Rev 1 offshore wind farm, commissioned as early as 2002, with a capacity of 160 MW. Its electricity generation permit was extended by 15 years to 2042. The wind farm could thus generate power for around 40 years in total. In the Netherlands, the Egmond aan Zee offshore wind farm, commissioned in 2007, received approval in 2025 to continue operating until 2031. Technical and environmental studies were required for this.

A research report published in June 2026 by IEA Wind Task 42 concludes that lifetime extensions are generally technically feasible and often economically attractive. Prerequisites include sufficient turbine reliability and economically viable maintenance costs. The researchers also identify legal uncertainty and inconsistent regulatory frameworks across Europe as key obstacles to broader implementation.

Source: IWR Online, Nov 11 2026