Crane & Heavy-Lift Jobs in Renewable Energy: A Growing Sector

Top Heavy Lift Jobs in Renewable Energy Sector

The following are some heavy-lift jobs that one can explore in the renewable energy sector to kickstart their professional career:

Rigger

Typically, a rigger is a skilled worker who ensures the safe lifting, movement, and positioning of heavy equipment and materials on renewable energy construction sites.

Instead of sitting inside the cranes and other lifting machines, they guide crane operators via hand signals for the precise offloading of heavy weights. They also assemble and disassemble panels and cranes for easy movement to the construction site.

Most importantly, riggers ensure that everyone is following proper safety protocols related to lifting operations while building wind turbines and solar farms.

SPMT Operator

SPMT operators, or self-propelled modular transport operators, are professionals who can easily operate SPMT, specialised vehicles for transporting large loads.

They use their high technical knowledge to carefully configure multiple axles of SPMT to evenly distribute weight and maintain stability during heavy lifting. The goal is to transport infrastructure and machinery, such as cranes and bridges, that would be impossible to move with traditional equipment.

However, this doesn't stop here; SPMT operators also inspect and maintain all the vehicles. They help minimise downtime and accidents during the construction of renewable energy plants.

Wind Turbine Technician

Another heavy-lift job in the renewable energy sector is a wind turbine technician. They are responsible for inspecting and testing the electrical and mechanical systems of a wind turbine. For this, they reach heights of over 300 feet using long ladders or other equipment.

If the components in the nacelle, such as the generator, shaft, blades, and other gearbox parts, get damaged, wind turbine technicians handle the repairs and replacements. They rely on hoists, a machine that lifts heavy wind turbine equipment loads using cables or pulleys.

Crane Operator

Crane Operators are also among the top heavy lift jobs. As the name implies, they operate various cranes to lift and move different materials.

For instance, they can lift and position wind turbine blades and towers during the construction and maintenance of renewable energy projects. Besides, they may handle delicate solar panels and place them precisely at a certain spot at the top for maximum energy production.

However, to do the job efficiently, they must be proficient in the usage of different types of cranes, from overhead cranes to rough terrain and truck cranes.