Alpha Offshore Service has announced a company record after successfully completing over 4,000 offshore wind turbine blade inspections to date in 2018. This is an increase of 56% compared to 2017, which was previously its most productive period.

The Denmark-based business which was acquired by Sparrows Group in 2017, specialises in the delivery of technical personnel, integrated engineering, maintenance, repair and inspection services to onshore and offshore wind developments. They currently employ more than 250 highly trained technicians, over 80 of which are blade specialists.

The company has seen a steady increase in requests for support as the global renewables market goes from strength to strength and the demand for wind turbine maintenance gains traction. Next year is set to further surpass this record as Alpha already has 5,400 blades scheduled for inspection for customers in Northern Europe alone.

The firm has worked on more than 500 windfarms in the USA, Europe and across Asia Pacific since the business was formed in 2007.

Mikkel Lund, chief executive officer at Alpha said: “We have been successfully conducting wind turbine blade inspection and repairs for more than 10 years and our continued growth and strong reputation for delivering quality is a testament to our highly experienced personnel.

“Blade inspection and maintenance is the most common work we conduct as it is often the first part of the turbine to develop structural damage due to lightening and erosion caused by wear and tear and the environment. It is encouraging to see windfarm developers understanding the long-term value that a proactive and regular maintenance programme can offer.”

Most recently, in July, Alpha Offshore announced a contract with NoordzeeWind, a joint venture between utility company Nuon and Shell. The team are providing independent repairs to around 80 blades which could include tip replacement, laminate repairs, lightning damage and leading-edge protection systems upgrades.