Altitec Academy Earns New GWO Blade Repair Certification

Altitec Academy, the rotor blade technician training programme from Altitec, a leading wind turbine blade repair and inspection specialist, has secured the blade repair certification from the Global Wind Organisation (GWO) for its training centres in London and Cape Town. The certification also allows Altitec to conduct GWO training in Australia. Altitec Academy trains upwards of 150 new rotor blade technicians a year in their training centres around the world. The new certification builds on the successful assessment of the training programme by DNV GL in 2018, and long-standing industry endorsement for the Altitec Academy.

Industry-wide accreditation for blade repair training is needed to reassure job-seekers of a future in wind energy and encourage more people to consider blade repair roles. As a provider of training and blade repair services, Altitec has been a strong advocate of certification for a number of years. This independent and widely recognised qualification for blade repair from the GWO, together with high-quality training and a commitment to excellence by blade servicing teams, will help to reduce the skills gap in the industry while the demand for blade repair services continues to expand.

The GWO certification has benefits for both technicians and employers. The introduction of the certification will make it easier for technicians to work across multiple sites and contractors over their careers, while for employers, it will provide reassurance that the technicians they hire have the knowledge required to safely perform their jobs.

“Our rotor blade technicians spend their careers learning. As blade technology develops and wind farms are built in unusual locations, blade technicians have to evolve approaches to deal with new forms of wear, tear and weathering of blades. Fundamental to this career-long learning process is a solid foundation of the processes and skills needed for blade repair. As a basis for that, we are pleased to be able to demonstrate we meet the GWO standards for blade repair in the Altitec Academy.” said Tom Dyffort, Managing Director, Altitec Group.

An industry-wide accreditation for blade repair, which we have been calling for for a number of years, will reassure future blade technicians that there is a great career in our industry, and help to close the skills gap we are seeing in the sector”

About Altitec:

Altitec is an independently operated, specialist rope access blade inspection and repair business, headquartered in London, Berlin and Cape Town. Since 2010, Altitec technicians have provided regular inspections on more than 10,000 blades and 5,000 turbines throughout the UK, South Africa, Australia, Europe and key emerging wind markets around the world.

Using ActSafe powered ascenders to aid access, the firm’s technicians provide a full range of blade inspection, repair and maintenance services. Altitec is an established provider of blade repair training for technicians through its GWO certified Altitec Academy, and runs end-user and trainer training for ActSafe customers in the UK.

Altitec holds distribution rights for the Actsafe Ascender in the UK, South Africa, Baltics, and Ireland.