PES Wind 2016 - Issue 4

ASK THE EXPERTSSafety above and beyondPES talks to Rick Huntley, Director of Safety and Compliance, at Sentinel Aviation anddiscovers exactly how important safety is in this company. Two of the directors are ex-military and bring this added experience. He also explains that this relatively new industryis already entering a cut throat price war due to the number of players in the market. PES: Welcome to PES Wind magazine. in such a fast-moving sector, I could offer a Thanks for talking with us. Would you more effective service to my existing and like to begin by explaining a little about future clients in a smaller business focused the background of your organisation and on the UK and EU rather than from a how you currently serve the wind multi-national company with a global industry? perspective where the UAS sector was only a small part of the business. Ricky Huntley: My two fellow directors established Sentinel Aviation in 2014 to During the last few years I have operated exploit opportunities in the Unmanned UAS across the world and have Aviation Systems (UAS - drone) sector. One accumulated in excess of 2500 hours flight of the directors spent 18 years in the British time with large platforms in both the military Army before leaving to become a and civilian spheres. During my military commercial pilot, flying corporate business career I spent a significant amount of time jets, bringing a wealth of military and developing operating systems and commercial aviation safety and risk protocols. This experience has been management processes to the business. augmented by similar operations in the The other director founded and built a civilian sector and it is this breadth of leading environmental contracting experience, combined with the range of company, which required the highest levels skills of the other team members at Sentinel of safety and risk assessment practices that made joining the company such an when working with the country’s largest exciting opportunity. energy providers on very high profile energy, nuclear power infrastructure, Sentinel Aviation is a drone safety, risk railway and motorway projects. Safety and management and compliance organisation, risk reduction is an ethos embedded within set up to bring the highest levels of safety the company. to the drone service industry, which is increasingly being exploited brings added I joined Sentinel Aviation as a director this technological value to the renewable energy summer following a period spent with one sector. In 2015 it was assessed that there of the world’s leading aviation safety were nearly 270,000 individual wind auditing & compliance companies. I felt that turbines with more than 800,000 blades102 PES Wind

ASK THE EXPERTSspinning globally. Inspections have time developing a program of risk “Whilst drones havetraditionally been conducted visually from management and safety and compliance to huge advantages,the ground or with higher, risk from ropes assist drone operators, drone ‘end users’, they themselvesand platforms. Drones now are in on the such as wind turbine operators and theaction, helping make a safety conscious insurance industry, particularly in the are not without riskindustry safer. renewable energy sector in reducing risk. and bring their own This process is tried and tested and is unique difficulties toWhilst drones have huge advantages, they aimed at minimising the potential forthemselves are not without risk and bring accidents. Any accident with a wind turbine the party”their own unique difficulties to the party. and drone can have serious consequencesThe explosion in interest in drones has and if either the drone operator or wind www.peswind.com 103brought in excess of 2500 and growing turbine operator are found wanting, the listrapidly, ‘pilots’ into the UK industry alone. of ensuing problems can be endless:By law they must have passed a GroundSchool and practical flight assessment, • Serious injury and potentially death tothey have to be approved by the UK CAA personnelwith an Operations’ Manual and Insurancebefore they are granted Permission for • Fire and/or explosion and resultingCommercial Operations. Unlike their fellow environmental damagecommercial pilots in ‘manned aviation’, theynever have to attend ground school or pass • Serious equipment and machinerya flight assessment ever again. damageCommercial aircraft operators and airlines • Plant and facility shutdownrequire many meticulous checks includingsafety management systems, annual crew • Collision and loss of expensive UAS/dronetraining, technical documentation andaircraft inspections to name just a few. • Services and supply interruptionEach commercial operator is assigned aflight ops inspector whose duty it is: “to • Expensive public liability insurance claimsensure that the operator continues tomaintain and operate their aircraft safely. • Resulting negative media, unwantedOngoing surveillance will be conducted and publicity and damage to corporate imagein the event of unsatisfactory findings, theCAA is empowered to vary or revoke an • Environmental damageAOC (Commercial Operator’s Licence)where appropriate”. • Regulatory infringement (police, CAA, Air Accident Investigations Board, Health andFor commercial drone operators the list of Safety Executive)compliance items is less onerous, oncethey have completed their initial • Lost data and increased operating andqualification, their assessment process is insurance costsover for ever,…….or until the rules areupdated. One public liability claim could erase all the premiums paid to an insurance companyAt Sentinel Aviation we have spent a long and its underwriters in one year. Sentinel works with the operators, end users and insurance industry to try and prevent this type of event happening. PES: I note that you have a military background, how has influenced your work at Sentinel? RH: My military training has held me in good stead in my civilian employment. Within the military, operating weapons, ammunition and equipment that are designed to kill, has meant that I am fully immersed in the processes of training, safety, compliance and regulations. This was not just whilst we were training, but on

ASK THE EXPERTS “The last quarter of this year is going to be increasingly busy with us announcing new initiatives and recruiting further safety and compliance minded personnel with sufficient experience in the industry”operations around the world. One of the PES: Can you tell us something about to offer continuous professionaloccupational hazards of serving with the the current market situation and how development that will mirror some of themilitary on operations is that you may have you’re helping customers meet their processes that commercial mannedto put yourself in a dangerous and safety targets? aviation follows. It works extremely well forpotentially life threatening situation. In my them and if we can be at least half as safetynew role with Sentinel Aviation, the RH: I mentioned the increasing numbers of conscious as them then we will be headingopposite is true, it’s my job to ensure that qualified drone pilots being able to offer in the right direction.no one ever puts themselves in a their inspection services. What is cleardangerous or potentially life threatening there are an awful lot of drone operators all PES: And conversely, what presents yousituation. In the military, we had a saying of fishing in the same pond and this has made with the biggest challenge?‘train hard, fight easy’. There is no this very immature industry exceptionallysubstitute for hard training and experience competitive and cut throat. By this I mean RH: Our biggest challenge at Sentineland it’s this mantra that I have carried that a wind turbine operator could put work Aviation is serving our increasing numbersforward into the civilian drone industry. out for tender and be approached by of customers who realise that we offer them numerous operators desperate for the an additional level of safety and protection.PES: Can you tell us a little bit more work. They are quite rightly demanding and weabout your role within the Industry? need to continue to meet their demands What I have seen time and again already is and rise to the new challenges.RH: As the Director of Safety and rival bids under cutting each other – it’s aCompliance, it is my job to ensure that I am race to the bottom or the lowest contractual PES: What are your thoughts aboutup to date with all regulatory changes or price. Two years ago drone operators were prospects for the last quarter of 2016,updates issued by the International Civil able to charge in excess of £1000 a day for moving forward to 2017, with regard toAviation Organisation (ICAO), the European their services that has now plummeted to your organisation, and the wind industryAviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the UK just £200 a day. in general?Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA). I alsoensure that our clients and customers are At Sentinel we work with operators to RH: The last quarter of this year is going tokept informed of these changes and that their ensure that they are operating not to the be increasingly busy with us announcingregulatory documentation is amended as and lowest acceptable standards but to the new initiatives and recruiting further safetywhen necessary. We help them adopt risk highest possible standards. End users of and compliance minded personnel withassessment techniques and will even help drone services are requesting Sentinel sufficient experience in the industry. Thesethem with Job Safety Analysis (JSAs), Aviation to draw up short lists of drone personnel have typically gained experiencedrafting, writing and submitting operational operators adopting best practice from within the military and therefore bringsafety cases to the UK CAA for approval. techniques and asking us to conduct a a unique set of qualities, which Sentinel safety audit first before they award the Aviation is familiar with.PES: What was the main driving force contract. The Insurance industry too isbehind the change of role? And how increasingly interested in our approach, as Moving into next year we will be looking toshould this benefit your customers it will assist them in setting the right expand into new areas within themoving forward? premium for the work intended. renewables sector. We will be keeping our eyes and ears open for new opportunities,RH: The driving force in the change of role PES: Geographically speaking, where but challenges for the wind industry willwas mainly around my desire to keep are the key markets for you and do you remain as the failed Navitus Bay project offunmanned aviation as safe as possible. The have plans to expand into other areas? the Dorset Jurassic Coast showed at theexciting part of the industry is flying the end of 2015.drones, but I have already been doing this RH: Sentinel’s key target area is the Unitedfor 15 years with my military service. The Kingdom, but I have already worked with sentinel-aviation.comless glamorous, but vitally important aspect customers in Europe. We are aiming tois to be a decision maker and influencer in enlarge our presence within the Unitedthis burgeoning industry and that’s where I Kingdom, but with many multi-nationalbelieve that my considerable experience companies based here in the UK, we areand skills can be best employed to the going to use our foothold, experience andbenefit of all. network of customers to grow and expand rapidly on an international scale.The team at Sentinel Aviation recognisedmy skill set and tradecraft and offered me PES: Are there any projects that you arethe opportunity to assist them in moving working on at this time that you wouldthe industry forward. They also have a like to highlight?growing list of clients who they wish me toengage with and assist in designing and RH: We hope in the very near future todelivering bespoke, capacity enhancing announce some exciting new partnershipstraining packages. along the lines of subjects I have previously mentioned in this interview. We also hope104 PES Wind

CORPORATE FOCUSStart-up to leading distributorGetting almost every spare part and accessory for wind turbines from a single source tothe customer - this is the business model WINDSOURCING.COM launched in 2013.Within three years the Hamburg-based company has developed to become the largestonline distribution platform for the wind sector. PES Wind Magazine reports how thecompany was created and what concept stands behind it.“When it comes to failures in the operation idea was to make the availability of spare “In the light of the constantly growing costof wind turbines, the time factor is decisive parts and repair material transparent on pressure in the wind energy market, wefor operators and owners,” Stefan Weber, one online platform, which we first think that processes and structures in thisManaging Director and Founder of launched in 2012,” reflects Weber, thinking sector need to change. Optimised pro-WINDSOURCING.COM, tells us. “One back on the years of hard work that have cesses lead to more effective solutions,substantial factor to help reducing the gone into the company. which help to reduce the process costs fordowntimes of wind turbines is a good sales and procurement activities in the longavailability of spare parts and repair After the launch the team was contacted term,” adds Weber.material as well as a well organised and more often by both suppliers, who wereexpedited transport from the warehouse to interested in collaborating with The company’s added value consists inthe destination.” WINDSOURCING.COM as their distribution cutting down costs for sales and procure- partner for the wind industry, as well as by ment activities as well as in reducing downThis is the point WINDSOURCING.COM customers who were looking for further times of wind turbines, because buyers arecomes into play. The distribution company products that were not listed on the platform able to find and purchase spare parts withinis often the final lifeline for a service yet. As a consequence WINDSOURCING. a shorter time period.engineer or a wind farm operator. WIND- COM developed fast into a specialisedSOURCING.COM provides almost every distributor that also assumes procurement “The main advantage of WINDSOURCING.part required to get a failed wind turbine and logistics support for their customers. COM for buyers is the transparency whichsystem going again. Stefan Weber and is created by publishing offers for spareSeher Kaygusuz set up their distribution So basically, WINDSOURCING.COM parts and components online in differentcompany WINDSOURCING.COM in 2013, distributes spare parts for wind turbines products groups. Savings are realised byentered the profit zone in 2015 and are now directly from a single source: from reducing the work time invested inmaking a name for themselves in the wind electronic and hydraulic components research and request for offers and byenergy sector. through to paints, foils, adhesives for rotor the decrease of the downtimes of the blades and complete transmissions. wind turbines.”How did the idea of foundingWINDSOURCING.COM come up? The online portfolio currently covers more Outsourced Purchasing and Logistics than 20,000 products and is constantly DepartmentThe idea of founding a company that is growing with new supply partners joiningfocused on spare parts and consumables, the portfolio. Part of this range is ready for Customers benefit from the fact thatfor the wind turbine after sales service delivery on demand directly from the WINDSOURCING.COM can supply almostmarket, came up in the context of a company’s warehouse; the rest is procured the entire product portfolio of wind energypurchasing alliance project the founders from regular suppliers. But the team is also technology and services from under onedid together with independent service investigating supply sources for products roof. Customers are, for example,companies in the wind energy sector. that are not yet in the portfolio. independent service companies who maintain wind turbines or repair them in“Taking into consideration that a Applying proven methods to the wind case of failure, irrespective of thepurchasing alliance bundles demands, the energy after sales market manufacturer as well as large domestic or www.peswind.com 105

CORPORATE FOCUSforeign wind farm operators who also turn delivered at the agreed time. Four to five “When it comes toto WINDSOURCING.COM for help. engineers will be waiting, as well as a ship failures in the operation or a helicopter to transport the material toThese companies partly carry out repairs the wind farm. If the parts are not available, of wind turbines,themselves in order to avoid expensive it can become very expensive. When the time factor isservicing contracts, but don’t have every accepting an order, we always say whether decisive for operatorsspare part in stock. For these companies we think the requested delivery date mightWINDSOURCING.COM is not only a be too optimistic – even if that means the and owners”distributor but an outsourced Purchasing customer looks around for another supplier.”and Logistics Department that assumes the Stefan Weber, Managing Director andresearch for parts as well as the organisa- Stepping-up international marketing and Founder of WINDSOURCING.COMtion of the shipments. promotion activities who are interested in WINDSOURCING.Together with their logistic partners Seher Kaygusuz, Marketing Manager of COM certainly must not wait until then.WINDSOURCING.COM collects the ordered WINDSOURCING.COM, names the Stefan Weber and Seher Kaygusuz arematerials from several supply sources into intensification of marketing and promotion always open to all suggestions andtheir own warehouse where the goods are activities on international level as a major requests: “We do not only value and fosterbundled and supplied in one shipment. task for the company. “We promote the our online communication channels, but platform via different communication also the direct contact with existing andErosion tape as first own brand product channels and see this as the key success potential customers and suppliers. We are factor to make WINDSOURCING.COM always looking forward to having interestingIn 2014 WINDSOURCING.COM took a more known to the wind energy community conversations,” explains Weber.further step forward by developing their first also on an international basis,” saysown product: an erosion protection foil. Kaygusuz. Get in touch with WINDSOURCING.COM:“Rotor blades are subjected to immense Press contact: Ms. Seher Kaygusuzstrain and loads, particularly in offshore Most recently the company had its own Phone: +49 (0) 40-987 688 00systems, since the wind at sea is much booth at the WindEnergy Hamburg fair from Email: [email protected] than on land. Raindrops hit the the 27 to 30 September 2016. “An eventfulblades like hail,” explains Weber. If the and promising trade show is covered. After www.windsourcing.comsurface becomes uneven, the our first participation as exhibitor in 2014,aerodynamics suffers. This is where the the WindEnergy Hamburg 2016 fair haserosion tape comes into play. It protects the again exceeded our expectations,” saysrotor blades from various impacts. It is so Weber. “The entire team is very glad aboutelastic that dents are evened out and return the positive feedback and the numerousto their original form. interesting meetings.”“Offshore wind farms are also a challenge Further fair performances and events arein terms of logistics,” says Weber. “Only currently in the planning stage. Yet thoseone thing counts, namely that the parts are106 PES Wind



ADVERTISERS’ INDEXGustoMSC: IFC & 107 ALTHERIS BV: 17 Deutsche-Windtechnik: 53 RECASE: 65www.gustomsc.com www.altheris.com www.deutsche-windtechnik.com www.recase.comTechnoship BV: 7 FIRETRACE: 23 HELIPPE: 55 DEME nv: 69www.technoship.nl www.firetrace.com/wind www.helippe.com www.deme-group.comPort of Rotterdam Authority: 9 Aerialtronics: 31 BUSS Port Logistics: 57 VISUAL WORKING SA: 77 www.visualworking.comwww.portofrotterdam.com/offshore www.aerlialtronics.com/windturbine www.buss-port-logistics.deOFFSHORE ENERGY 2016: 15 ZF: 39 SPECTAIR GROUP GmbH: 61 AWEA WINDPOWER 2017: 79www.offshore-energy.biz www.zf.com/windpower www.spectairgroup.com www.windpowerexpo.org108 PES Wind

ADVERTISERS’ INDEXMaxwell Technologies: 81 PES WIND: 96 Jan De Nul Group: OBCwww.maxwell.com www.peswind.com www.jandenul.comCOORDINADORA: 85 ZITON: 101www.coordinadora.eu www.ziton.euWIND EXPO 2017: 89 WINDSOURCING.COM: 110www.windexpo.jp/en/ www.windsourcing.comSeaway Heavy Lifting: 91 ADEDE: IBCwww.seawayheavylifting.com www.adede.com www.peswind.com 109

WORD ON THE TWEET Twitter gives a soundbite view on the world and is a good place to find forthcoming events. Searching for tweets is quite an eye opener, as some companies tweet regularly and others sporadically. Here is our selection of the latest offshore tweets.Energy Saving Trust @EnergySvgTrust IRENA @IRENA There is enough energy in waves to powerCut-throat competition slashing#offshorewind costs to unthinkable levels. the world, but are we on-track to harvest it?(via @telebusiness/@AmbroseEP) #windpower @Salon discussesFloreon @FloreonTP OWET @Oregon_Wave BIG AL B. @ALBADERTSCHERQuieter offshore wind energy Offshore Wind Farms See Statoil floats #Hawaii #offshore #Wind bid - Offshore Wind |means happier porpoises Promise in Platforms That reNEWS - Renewable Energy News#environment Float via @nytimes110 PES Wind