2024 Year in Review: Keeping the Blades Turning – A Year of Growth, Achievements, and Milestones

As 2024 draws to a close, we would like to thank our team, clients, and suppliers for their continued support in what has been another exciting year for Gael Energy. Our business continues to grow, and we’re excited to take this opportunity to share some of our highlights and milestones.

This year, we were pleased to welcome several new members to the team, including Jamie Cameron (Commercial Lead), David Lawson (Project Manager), and Wind Turbine Engineers Callum Ross and Colin Sutherland. We’ve also been proud to support Charlie Lawson, Wind Turbine Engineer, with his mechanical and electrical apprenticeship – he is currently completing his SVQ2 and will progress to an HNC next year.

As part of our commitment to expanding our operations, we enhanced Gael Energy's capacity for C&F and other wind turbine repairs and upgrades by relocating our Aberdeenshire team from Mintlaw to Newburgh. The new facility, located just 20 minutes north of Aberdeen, features a large workshop, specialised areas for clean electrical work, and a garage and yard with extensive storage for parts and machinery maintenance. In addition to this, a key growth area for Gael Energy this year has been Repowering – a relatively new practice in the sub-1MW market which involves a proactive approach to upgrading or replacing ageing wind turbines with more efficient, modern models, leading to improved return on investment.

In terms of our services, our technical expertise was on full display in a highly challenging project for Nadara at Lambrigg, near Kendal, where we acted as both Principal Designer and Principal Contractor to replace a damaged yaw ring on a Bonus 1.3 turbine. We also completed a complex project for Eneco UK, dismantling a defective SGRE 3MW turbine at Lochluichart Wind Farm in the Highlands. This year also marked a significant milestone as we secured our first major onshore wind framework agreement with a major developer. This four-year agreement, covering all of Scotland, will see Gael Energy provide major component maintenance, repair, and installation services for a leading player in the renewables sector. All in all we have successfully completed 16 major component and 4 decommissioning projects in 2024.

In addition to our project achievements, we were able to attend several industry events. In February, we exhibited at the inaugural DYW Green Careers Expo, engaging with over 600 secondary school pupils from across the Highlands. In June, Hamish Campbell (Managing Director), Julien Vialettes (Area Manager), and David Bauermeister (Engineering Lead) hosted our stand at the Royal Highland Show. Then in September, Hamish, Julien, and Jamie exhibited at the Onshore Wind Conference to showcase Gael Energy’s expertise in delivering multi-brand onshore wind turbine operations and maintenance across Scotland and the UK.

Hamish Campbell, Managing Director, commented: “As we reflect on another year of growth and success at Gael Energy, driven by our passion for ‘keeping the blades turning,’ we are grateful for the continued support of our suppliers, clients, and team. Our values remain at the heart of everything we do, shaping our approach, fueling our passion, and empowering our team to excel. This commitment to excellence is reflected in the trust and satisfaction of our customers, something we are immensely proud of. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Here's to 2025 – another exciting year of continued success and collaboration!”