20.04.2026
How STAHLWILLE tools support the maintenance of wind turbines in the North Sea
Inhalt
C-Power’s offshore wind farm in the Belgian North Sea supplies sustainable energy to 300,000 households. It's the only wind farm in Belgium where the operator sends its own service technicians to the platforms. And they always use STAHLWILLE tools for their wind turbines.
01.
Thornton Bank offshore wind farm: power for 300,000 households
A total of 54 wind turbines deliver up to 326 megawatts per year to the Belgian power grid. They are spread over an area of around 20 square kilometers, 30 kilometers from the coast. This is the Thornton Bank wind farm, operated and maintained by the Zwijndrecht-based company C-Power NV. Safety and efficiency are top priorities, which is why the company runs a training center in Ostend, where it runs realistic simulations and training courses on inspecting and servicing wind turbines.
02.
Tools for offshore wind turbines
Offshore wind turbines require regular maintenance to keep mechanical and electrical components working reliably and to prevent outages. Tools from STAHLWILLE are used everywhere at Ostend, accompanying technicians on every flight to the platforms. The equipment includes around 100 mechanical torque wrenches, including the MANOSKOP® 721Nf/80, MANOSKOP® 730N, and MANOSKOP® 730 Quick. C-Power also owns customized tool sets with insert tools, shell tools, ratchets, spanners, and much more.
There were several reasons why C-Power chose STAHLWILLE. First, there is the robustness and reliability of the torque wrenches. Then there is the precision with which the tools achieve bolted joints, from 20 N·m to 800 N·m. Finally, it's crucial to prevent turbines worth half a million euros each from being damaged by a loose bolt.
Stijn Lefevre, Asset Engineer at C-Power
03.
Efficient maintenance of offshore wind turbines
There were other factors in STAHLWILLE's favor as well. According to Lefevre, the fact that the torque wrenches don't need to be reset to 0 saves precious time. Obviously, every minute a wind turbine is out of action is a minute when it is not generating any electricity. When choosing a tool partner, he and his colleagues also took every gram of weight into account, because the helicopter's transport capacity is limited. They found that STAHLWILLE torque wrenches are lighter than those of most other brands, making them ideal for platform hopping.
Finally, there is the QuickRelease feature and Tool Control System, which virtually eliminate the risk of unintended tool loss. Lefevre explains: “We've optimized the tool sets for helicopter transport. They only include the tools we need for the job. QuickRelease makes tool changes fast and safe. And with the TCS foam inlays, the technician can immediately see if a tool is missing before takeoff.”
It's a case of clean energy made possible by clean workflows. With a little help from STAHLWILLE.
Thornton Bank wind farm – Facts
Location: Belgian North Sea, 30 km offshore | Area: Approx. 20 km² | Turbines: 54 | Output: 326 MW | Households supplied: 300,000
On a wind turbine, many bolted joints are safety-critical. The wrong torque can cause material fatigue, component damage, or turbine failure. Precision torque wrenches help to achieve defined values reliably.
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