CakeBoxx Leads in Standardization for Wind Energy
The Equipment Work Group Within Wind Power, Founded by CakeBoxx Technologies’ Thomas Sender Mehl
The wind power industry has experienced tremendous growth in recent years, with the size and scale of wind turbines increasing exponentially each year. As a result, the transportation of large, heavy, over-dimensional, and out-of-gauge wind turbine parts and equipment has become a significant challenge for OEMs, transport companies, and end users alike.
Finding innovative ways to solve growing problems like this is what we do here at CakeBoxx, and it’s a long-held passion of CakeBoxx Technologies’ new SVP, Global Supply Chain, Thomas Sender Mehl. Thomas’ distinguished career has included major supply chain roles at frontrunning companies in wind energy, Vestas, Siemens, and KK Wind Solutions. He also sits on the advisory board for Breakbulk Europe.
After chairing a productive panel discussion on the pace of industry growth at the Breakbulk Europe trade event in May 2022, Thomas incepted the Equipment Work Group Within Wind Power. The group comprises wind turbine OEMs and component manufacturers, manufacturers of wind turbine transportation and lifting equipment, transport companies and shipping lines, and wind turbine installers and operators. The group aims to ease the burden of transporting oversized, high-value, high-consequence wind industry cargo.
CakeBoxx Technologies was a founding member of the Equipment Work Group Within Wind Power. Other member companies include Vestas, Siemens Gamesa, Maersk, Liebherr, LM Wind, Mammoet, Royal Roos, LuxTrailer, Lektinut, and Claviate.
”Having trust and openness across the wind and renewable energy industry is key. We aim to reach a common agreement on transportation standards, and our group's formation is proof of this willingness to collaborate. We recognize that equipment needs to be standardized to make transportation more manageable and sustainable and to ensure the safe and efficient movement of wind cargo from one location to another.
The entire CakeBoxx Technologies team shares my passion for moving the dial forward, challenging established conventions, improving sustainability, and thinking in new ways to innovate and improve transportation of heavy, awkward-shaped, and oversize cargo. During our discussions in the work group, I was inspired to join the CakeBoxx team and am excited to focus even more of my time and energy on helping renewable energy stakeholders worldwide increase their profitability and decarbonize their supply chains by optimizing their transportation equipment, keeping their cargo and their people safe and secure.
Thomas Sender MehlSVP Global Supply Chain, CakeBoxx Technologies
The first meeting of the working group after forming was hosted by Liebherr in Rostock, Germany in September 2022, a week prior to the WindEnergy 2022 and Breakbulk Americas 2022 events. The meeting was a success, with members coming together to ground the group and set out common aims. Discussions focused on developing standards for transporting wind turbine components, including blades, towers, and nacelles.
The Breakbulk Europe team documented the group’s most recent meeting, hosted by group members Mammoet and Royal Roos in Rotterdam, conducting interviews with Thomas and other key members on what the group is working to achieve.
Join CakeBoxx Technologies and the Equipment Work Group Within Wind Power in Rotterdam this June 6-8, where we will share the group’s achievements and a roadmap for the future of wind equipment standardization at Breakbulk Europe 2023.
