Heavy lift jobs supporting the renewable energy industry

Investment into renewable energy is surging like never before, and to meet heightened demand, plants, technologies, and infrastructure are being supersized. As an example, new wind turbines are reaching staggering new sizes; the Vestas’ V172-7.2MW turbine’s hub height towers 199 metres and its individual blades average a weight of 70 tonnes. And as the size of infrastructure grows, transportation is becoming trickier.   

That’s where heavy lift comes in. Behind the scenes, these niche professionals are at the bedrock of getting vast, critical equipment and materials to construction sites. There are multiple career pathways available and demand for these skilled workers is growing year on year.   

Heavy Lift Careers in 2023

Heavy lift jobs can largely be found within construction and infrastructure projects. Historically, within the energies space, they primarily served oil and gas rigs offshore, but as we veer away from fossil fuels there is more work being generated in the construction of wind farms. And wind energy is having its moment. Especially in the offshore arena, with the US finally realising its coastal wind power potential. Because of this, we are expecting to see a greater demand for heavy lift around the States, and the need to adapt to machinery capable of heavier loads. Here are the jobs that we consistently see a need for:

Site Manager

The day-to-day progress of a project and all things onsite fall under the responsibility of a Site Manager. They interface between the Project Manager, end client and team of onsite contractors, so people management is a big part of the job. Safety and organisation are absolutely key to the role too as operations can be risky, especially within outside or even offshore environments using heavy machinery. Site Managers will work in cooperation with HSE Officers to ensure the running of site is smooth and safe.

Crane Operator

Modern day wind turbine designs are quite literally reaching new heights. With towers up to 200 metres tall and rotor diameters sweeping up to 130 metres wide, crane operators are an essential part of the workforce that help to build a wind farm. There are various kinds of cranes that an operator can specialise in depending on the project at hand. But a skillset that we are seeing a greater need for in the renewables space is the ability to operate heavy cranes of 500 tonnes and above, such as the Liebherr LG 1750 or Demag CC3800. These are some of the best machines for building onshore wind farms as they are tall and strong enough to manoeuvre the heavier loads at great heights.

Rigger

Riggers help move materials and equipment to and around construction sites. Working on the ground rather than inside the cab of the crane or forklift, a rigger will work in cooperation with the machine operator, loading up materials and signalling where to manoeuvre and drop the load. They can also help assemble and dismantle cranes so that they can be transported to site. Safety and accuracy are key skills needed in the job of a rigger. They are in charge of ensuring the load is stable and secure so that it can reach its destination safely.

SPMT Operators

Self-Propelled Modular Transporters are a specialist piece of heavy hauling equipment used to move gigantic structures, typically which cannot be broken down. They can transport whole bridges, cranes, rigs and hundreds of tonnes of infrastructure or machinery. SPMT operators drive the vehicle through computerised controls which requires some real skill; the vehicle is built to rotate 360 degrees and multiple units can be built together to extend the size of the transporter. With the sizes that new infrastructure is growing to, SPMT Operators are a growing requirement we are finding in the heavy lift space, and the industry is currently suffering a shortage.    

Looking for your next Heavy Lift job?

We are deeply connected within the renewable energy space and know that Heavy Lift is vital in getting critical infrastructure projects off the ground. If you are experienced in heavy lift and need an expert recruitment company to help you land your next contract, get in touch with the team today or take a look at our current heavy lift jobs here.