The Real Engine of Commissioning & O&M? Skilled, Supported Technicians

Technicians are the frontline of offshore wind—working up towers in all conditions, handling everything from blade repairs & HV switching to SCADA resets & heavy-lift inspections. Every minute & every decision counts.

But the workforce is stretched. Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) & Global Wind Organisation project over 500k trained wind techs needed by 2028, including commissioning roles; in the UK, 10k offshore hires per year will be required until 2030. Renewables UK reports that fatigue, poor onboarding, & high turnover have already led to rising incidents.

Building Conditions for Success

At Empire Energy, we create the environment for technicians to excel throughout commissioning & beyond:

🔹 Project-Specific Teams

🔹 Long-Term Retention

🔹 Training & Development

🔹 Welfare-First Operations

🔹 Onsite Leadership

Performance That Pays Off

The results? Shorter outages. Faster commissioning. Fewer safety incidents.

In 2023, global O&M costs rose by 7%, driven by parts delays, workforce constraints, & fragmented service delivery, according to McKinsey. 

But commissioning challenges often start earlier: DNV notes that commissioning phases frequently face bottlenecks due to tech shortages & poor interface coordination, leading to cost overruns, delayed energization, & extended asset downtime. These early inefficiencies ripple through a project’s lifecycle, affecting everything from first power to long-term reliability.

“You don’t cut O&M and Commissioning costs with spreadsheets — you do it with experience, consistency, and trust. Our model is built around that.”

— Mike Milledge, Empire Energy President

Empire Energy takes a different approach.

By deploying integrated commissioning & O&M teams—including trained technicians, site leads, & PMs who stay with the project from handover to operations—we eliminate the learning curve, reduce downtime, & deliver faster, safer outcomes. Our focus on training, welfare, & consistent leadership ensures our teams hit the ground running & stay on track throughout.

The impact? Quicker project readiness. Higher early availability. Stronger long-term ROI.

What Operators Should Do

✅ Put technicians at the centre — Hire, train, & retain skilled technicians aligned to the asset lifecycle, not six-month contracts. Deeper expertise equals fewer errors.

✅ Choose fully integrated delivery — One accountable team from mobilization through long-term operations ensures efficiency, consistency, & cost control.

✅ Invest in integrated leadership — Project managers, supervisors, & lead techs should work as one unit with clear roles & seamless coordination.

By supporting technicians with tools, time, welfare, & leadership, Empire delivers commissioning & O&M excellence: faster, safer, cheaper, making clients happier & assets more productive.

Follow Empire Energy for frontline insights—or visit empireenergypartners.com to see how people-first performance transforms offshore wind.