A wind turbine contains a lot of electrical cabling and complex electronic components throughout the wind turbine structure, offshore and onshore substations. Electrical engineers are employed during the latter stages of construction and throughout the operation and maintenance process. You will work offshore on the wind turbine structures and onshore where the electrical cables reach land. Wind farms will also have central substations which will bring together the generation from a number of wind turbines.
Courses and Training:
Experience as an electrician and supporting qualifications such as an NVQ or apprenticeship is typically required. You will also be required to complete the basic wind training which must be approved by RenewableUK (RUK) and / or the Global Wind Organisation (GWO). The basic training is made up of:
- Sea Survival
- Fire Awareness
- First Aid
- Working at Height
- Manual Handling
It would be worthwhile looking at a number of job roles to see what the common requirements are. There may be additional specific training as we discussed earlier. So it would be advisable to reach out to some companies and specific job roles to work out what training and qualifications you might need.
