Enel Green Power is supporting the first year of the ‘Accademia del Vento’ in Italy which is training 15 students to become certified wind farm maintenance professionals.
The academy opened its doors on 14 October at the ELIS center in Rome.
The ‘Certified Wind Farm Maintenance Professional’ course will see students have five months in the classroom, divided into 14 weeks of basic and six weeks of specialised training. The latter will start in February next year, Enel Green Power said.
Students must fully master the principles of wind farm operation and maintenance and become familiar with wind turbine gear boxes, composite materials and blades as part of the training, the company said.
Upon completion, the students will receive a certification from the Global Wind Organization that covers working at height, CPR, fire safety and cargo handling.
The ELIS centre will also provide field training as it has several nacelles supplied by Enel Green Power.
Students will also use drones for non-invasive maintenance simulations.
The certification programme will be offered each year.
The Accademia del Vento is also endorsed by IVPC, ERG, E2I and Eon, and is sponsored by Elettricita Futura and ANEV, the Italian national wind energy association.