As this is my first post, I think it is appropriate for me to introduce myself. My name is Jesús Hernández Sánchez. I am Spanish, currently doing an internship with Windhoist. I am working as a trainee wind turbine technician. I am fluent in Spanish and English. I am an energy engineer and I am doing a Masters in Renewable Energy with the specialization subject being wind energy. I am very passionate about the wind industry and I am completely fascinated with the magnitude of these machines.
First of all I will talk about my first two weeks at the Windhoist Training Centre, Scotland. During these two intense weeks of training I was put through my paces and received full GWO training and internal technical training. I found the trainers to be very professional and highly skilled. All the trainers are very approachable. Once I passed all the training, I started my journey to site (Sweden). It was a long trip from Scotland to Sweden by car, sailing on two ferries. The first one from Hull to Rotterdam and the second one from Rostock (Germany to Trelleborg (Sweden). The company paid the whole trip and my expenses. The first ferry was a luxury one, it was a very good experience. I have never been on a ferry like that before. I am very fortunate to travel the world as a wind technician. Being able to travel is a huge advantage of the role.
When I arrived in Sweden I discovered that my accommodation was actually located in an amazing ski resort. A fully equipped apartment – including a sauna! This sanctuary of rest was very much appreciated as I had a long journey from Scotland. I will be working at Envikesbert wind farm. Windhoist are installing 9 SGRE turbines 4.1 MW. When the project is complete the wind farm will be generating enough power for the instantaneous demand of 3075 homes at once. Quite impressive, don´t you think? My first day on site was quite unusual as the weather was 35c! Some of my colleagues found the heat unbearable but I’m very much used to these temperatures – being a native Spaniard. I found my first day quite overwhelming as everything is all so new but you soon learn the ropes pretty fast. Site is an interesting place to be but the work is quite challenging. I don’t mind though as I am ready for hard work. The other thing I found quite difficult was understanding the strong Irish accent from some of my Irish colleagues. I am sure I’ll pick up the lingo quickly though. The first two days I was allocated to blades. Working on the blades, attaching the protector which is assembled to the hub. I remember being told that we are aiming for “perfection” everything has to be perfect. No room for error. I will never forget it.
Overall it has been an exciting learning journey. Learning all about the turbine and the assembly process. I enjoy working with my Windhoist team leader, Nicola Loddo. He has a lot of knowledge about turbine installation and he is very patient with the trainee technicians. Thanks Nicola for all your help. Having a great mentor has made me feel very settled. I’m looking forward to week two.
Bye for now…
Jesús
