Our Roots

The origins of IX date back to 2004, when founder Eric Kamphues on behalf of the Mecal group started to develop a new business: technical consultancy for wind power projects. Since 1989 and until then the core business of Mecal was mechanical design, turbine component engineering and technology development.

The first due diligences and inspections of wind power projects were successfully executed beginning 2005. The customer feedback was very positive and clear about the advantages of our services: translate technical risks and opportunities into economic advice or solutions.

Many projects were executed in Greece, Germany, the Netherlands and later Spain, Italy, UK and Canada for utilities, investors and banks. In 2007, the first offshore wind due diligence was executed on the 400MW project Meerwind.

In 2009 the due diligence, consultancy and inspections activities were transferred into a new company Mecal Wind Farm Services (WFS), which went through steady growth in the international wind power industry. Activities were expanded to tender and contract support, technology evaluations of new turbine models and financial modelling. The team was involved in construction supervision in the Netherlands, HondurasondurasH and Poland. Furthermore, in the operational phase, the team started monitoring/evaluation of operational assets and the first version of the O&M simulation model SOMOS was developed.

In 2012, WFS was split into two parts: Inspections (WFS), which focussed on the detailed technical aspects of and measurements on wind turbines, and Mecal Independent eXperts (IX). In 2016, IX became fully independent as a separate company and changed the name to IX. The team involved is unchanged and still offers years of experience in on and offshore wind power.

IX focuses on due diligence and techno economic consultancy. Activities of IX expanded to Sweden, Taiwan, Japan and China particularly with the support in the development, design, planning and contracting for offshore wind projects. The SOMOS model has meanwhile been completed and is used regularly for developing O&M strategies as well as negotiations of contracts.

Due to the varied nature and to provide excellent service, IX regularly involves and manages specialized technical personnel from the Mecal group or other partners. The core strength of IX remains, to combine the various technical disciplines bridging to advice on the commercial and legal risks and advantages to our valued clients.