On January 4^th, 2023, Global Wind Service (GWS) celebrated its 15 year anniversary in wind. Since securing its first contract in Esbjerg, Denmark, GWS has worked on close to 2000 projects in 40 countries around the world. The company has experienced quite a growth journey and now employs more than 1,700 people from 39 different nationalities, working across the 13 local business units and on site around the world. In 2021 the company delivered a revenue of 184 million Euro, figures for 2022 are not yet ready, but the growth journey have continued. 

Commenting on the 15-year anniversary, Michael Høj Olsen, CEO of GWS said: “Global Wind Service has come a long way over the past 15 years. From being a smaller entrepreneurial provider of manpower, co-founded by Lars Bo Petersen and Michael Nielsen who is still active and shareholders in GWS, to now being one of the preferred project partners globally, for complete wind turbine services. We have managed to grow together with our clients and adapt to industry needs. We can all be very proud of what we have achieved – it is something that would not have been possible without all our dedicated and skilled colleagues.”

When GWS was founded, it was built on the belief that things could be done in a different way - in a better way. Since the very beginning, being flexible and finding solutions for clients and partners have been key together with a committed focus on the people who make the difference every day as part of the company. 

As projects have become more complex and challenging, GWS has invested heavily in training, processes and in systems to meet higher standards for safety, quality and technical expertise. In 2021 Global Wind Service Academy was established in Szczecin in Poland to further develop and strengthen competences and to make sure GWS can educate technicians with the right mindset and skills needed. 

Key accomplishments over the past 15 years are many and include taking a leading position within offshore installation and service; the installation of the very first offshore wind turbines in U.S. at Block Island in 2016; installation of the first offshore wind farm in France, Parc Éolien en mer de Saint-Nazaire, in 2022; and playing a significant role in the growing offshore market in Taiwan with local establishment and colleagues.

Other key accomplishments include the establishment of the leading position within blade maintenance a team of more than 250 specialised blade technicians and back-office staff, as well as the entering of markets like Turkey, Lithuania, Serbia, etc. to support our partners and clients in the installation of onshore wind farms. And finally, having established a service business supporting partners and clients both offshore and onshore across many countries and work scopes has become a significant part of GWS offering and business.

Despite the company’s global profile, hiring a local workforce has always been a priority for GWS. “When we expand and open new units, it important for us, to hire local employees and build a local organisation. We thereby contribute positively to the local societies and labour markets in the different countries” Michael continued.

The wind energy outlook is positive and set for tremendous growth over the coming years. A report from Wind Europe expects Europe to install 116 GW of wind from 2022 to 2026. In the U.S., the Department of Energy projects a total wind capacity of 224.07 GW in 2030 (increase of 110.66 GW since 2020) and in Taiwan, Asia Wind Energy Association report forecasts an offshore wind capacity growth of 2.5 GW from 2020 to 2025. 

“The outlook of immense growth in the wind industry is a great opportunity for the whole value chain including GWS, and we look forward to keep growing, together with our partners and clients. However, such a growth does not come without challenges. One of the obstacles for us and for the industry as I see it, is the need for even more skilled labor. This calls for all parties in the industry to take on the responsibility of bringing in new colleagues from other industries or coming directly from school. But the responsibility does not lie on the industry alone. We also need local governments to support the industry, by targeting specific educational programs to the wind industry and renewables in general, as well as encouraging more young people to pursue a vocational career path with electrical or mechanical skills. It’s only by working together, that we can reach the ambitious targets set out by the different governments for a greener planet” Michael said.

Global Wind Service | https://globalwindservice.com/