Repowering means two construction sites in a row: the old turbine goes, the new one arrives, often at the same location and on the same areas. SAFETEE coordinates both throughout, as SiGeKo under the German Construction Site Ordinance and with HSE management on site.
Repowering replaces older wind turbines with more powerful ones at the same location. The old turbine is dismantled, its foundation removed and the new turbine erected. SAFETEE coordinates both within one framework: SiGeKo and on-site HSE management, from demolition concept to the file for later work. For developers, operators and manufacturers acting as client.
After 20 or more years of operation, documents are often incomplete, components fatigued and operating fluids such as oils and greases still inside nacelle and gearbox. Dismantling therefore starts with a survey and a concept.
Crane dismantling, felling or blasting the tower, cutting rotor blades on the ground, breaking out the foundation: every method brings its own exclusion zones, loads and emissions.
Access roads, crane pads and grid connection are often already in use for the new build while the old turbine is still standing. The interfaces decide on safety.
We plan dismantling and new build as one construction project with two phases. Responsibilities, documents and contacts stay the same for the entire construction period.
Planning and execution coordination under the Construction Site Ordinance for both phases, with an H&S plan that explicitly governs the transition from dismantling to new build.
HSE managers on site for the client, the manufacturer or the demolition contractor: briefings, inspections, KPIs and coordination with authorities and the accident insurer.
Demolition contractor, crane company, waste disposal, civil works and assembly share a tight space. We coordinate access, permits and the Last Minute Risk Analysis before critical steps.
Separately, our Safety Consulting advises operators on duties and liability around decommissioning: Advice on operator liability. Consulting and operational coordination remain separate roles that complement each other.
Nacelle, hub and rotor blades are usually removed in reverse assembly order. Load data of old components, wind limits, lifting points and exclusion zones are checked before every lift.
When the tower is felled or blasted, direction of fall, fall zone, vibration and dust drive the planning. Blasting counts as particularly hazardous work under Annex II BaustellV.
Rotor blades made of GFRP, on younger turbines also with CFRP, are cut up on the ground. Enclosed saws, water mist, filter mats and respiratory protection keep fibre dust away from workers and surroundings.
Steel segments and precast concrete, on concrete and hybrid towers also tendons, require their own dismantling sequence. Removing heavy components by crane falls under Annex II No. 10 BaustellV.
Breaking with hydraulic hammer or shears, deep excavations, noise, dust and vibration. Permit and state rules set scope and depth before the area is handed to the new build.
Crane pad, access road and heavy transport are shared by dismantling and new build. Lift planning, traffic management and clear area boundaries keep both sites cleanly apart.
Ideally we join as soon as dismantling and new build are being planned. Areas, crane positions and sequences for both phases can then be set together.
Survey of the old turbine, demolition concept, prior notice and H&S plan for dismantling and new build.
Coordination of dismantling, crane lifts, fall and exclusion zones and blade cutting.
Breaking out and backfilling, handing the area to the new build with a documented condition.
Coordination of erection up to commissioning, handover of the file for later work.
Our coordinators supervised repowering sites for Vestas when dismantling and new build at the same location were still the exception. Since 2013 we have known the assembly processes of the major manufacturers from more than 3,000 wind projects, and therefore the reverse path as well.
Before founding SAFETEE, managing director Marc Riegel worked among other roles as project manager and Division Lead Safety Engineering. In that time he was responsible for demolitions at BP's refinery sites in Gelsenkirchen, including contaminated areas and asbestos remediation. This demolition practice feeds into our dismantling concepts.
Source: Fachagentur Wind und Solar on behalf of BWE and VDMA Power Systems, status of onshore wind expansion in Germany, H1 2026 (23 Jul 2026).
DIN SPEC 4866 “Sustainable decommissioning, dismantling, recycling and recovery of wind turbines” was published on 17 July 2020 as a voluntary industry standard. It gives recommendations from planning through site safety, staff qualification and dismantling of rotor blades, tower and nacelle to documentation. Source: DIN.
The DIN SPEC is being converted into DIN 4866 “Deconstruction and dismantling of wind turbines”. Draft E DIN 4866:2025-11 was published on 26 Sep 2025 (NABau, demolition committee) and assigns responsibilities of client and contractors more precisely. According to our research (29 Sep 2026) the final version has not yet been published. Source: DIN Media.
Under Section 35(5) sentence 2 BauGB, a wind turbine outside built-up areas is only permitted if the developer commits to removing it after permanent cessation of use. Sentence 3 requires this to be secured, in practice usually through a financial security. The federal states set amount and scope. Source: BauGB; BWE, 1 Feb 2024.
As a rule, yes. The German Construction Site Ordinance also applies to demolishing structures. If several employers work on site, the client appoints a coordinator. Blasting and removing heavy components by crane are particularly hazardous work under Annex II and require an H&S plan. Source: BaustellV, version in force since 1 Apr 2023.
Sustainable decommissioning, dismantling, recycling and recovery of wind turbines (2020), free of charge from DIN.
Draft “Deconstruction and dismantling of wind turbines”, published 26 Sep 2025.
Installations, repowering and decommissioning, commissioned by BWE and VDMA Power Systems.
Background paper on decommissioning, dismantling and recovery, January 2026.
Coordinator, H&S plan, file for later work; Annex II particularly hazardous work.
Overview of decommissioning duty and security under Section 35(5) BauGB, 1 Feb 2024.
As of: 29 Sep 2026
Coordination under BaustellV for new wind farms, from access road to commissioning.
HSE managers on site for client, manufacturer or demolition contractor.
Access, briefing and coordination of all companies on site.
Last Minute Risk Analysis via app before critical steps.
Safety Consulting on operator duties and liability, separate from coordination.
As a rule, yes. The German Construction Site Ordinance also applies to demolition. As soon as employees of several employers work on site, such as the demolition contractor, crane company and waste disposal, the client appoints a coordinator. If heavy components are removed by crane or blasting is used, particularly hazardous work under Annex II applies and an H&S plan is mandatory.
DIN SPEC 4866 from 2020 is a voluntary industry standard for sustainable decommissioning, dismantling, recycling and recovery of wind turbines. It describes the process from planning through site safety, staff qualification and dismantling of rotor blades, tower and nacelle to documentation. It is available free of charge from DIN.
DIN 4866 “Deconstruction and dismantling of wind turbines” is set to replace the DIN SPEC. Draft E DIN 4866:2025-11 has been available since 26 Sep 2025. It places decommissioning within general demolition practice and assigns the responsibilities of client and contractors more precisely. As of 29 Sep 2026, according to our research, the final standard has not yet been published.
With a joint H&S plan for both phases. It defines which areas, access roads and crane pads belong to which site and when, how heavy transports are routed and who issues permits. One coordinator for both phases keeps the interfaces together and updates the plan whenever the construction sequence changes.
Under Section 35(5) sentence 2 BauGB the developer commits to removing the turbine and soil sealing after permanent cessation of use. The authority secures this under sentence 3, in practice usually through a financial security such as a guarantee. Amount and scope of removal, for example of the foundation, differ between the federal states.
The blades are lifted off by crane and cut up on the ground. Enclosed saws or wire saws, water mist, filter mats and extraction prevent glass and carbon fibre dust from being released. For the workers, respiratory protection, protective clothing and a fenced-off work area are part of it. The pieces then go to recovery.
The tower is often dismantled segment by segment by crane, especially when parts will be reused. Alternatively it is felled with demolition equipment or brought down by directional blasting, usually based on a vibration assessment. The right method depends on tower type, surroundings and permit. We define fall zone, exclusion areas and permits in the H&S plan.
The file under Section 3 BaustellV collects the safety-relevant information for maintenance, inspection and later work on the new turbine, such as anchor points, access and rescue routes. In repowering we hand it over for the new turbine and document the dismantling of the old one, so the operator has both.
Number of turbines, type of the old turbine, planned period: with these three details we estimate the coordination effort for both phases and get back to you within one working day.
