Wind Power Energy launched in 2014 the Academy for Renewable Sources, the first such initiative in the Romanian market. It’s the first school dedicated to technicians in wind industry in South-East Europe, fully authorized by GWO for all the training modules. Our discussion with Sebastian Enache, Business Development Manager at Monsson Group, started from a question: is this the best time to launch such an initiative?

Mr. Sebastian Enache, what are the prospects you see for training services for technicians in the renewable sector, given that the whole sector seems to be in difficulty throughout the region?

In 2006, when we started talking about wind energy in Romania, few knew this subject in detail. Now, we already have an industry employing over 5,000 people, of whom 10% are daily in a wind turbine executing various repair and maintenance works.

BZEE – the Academy for Renewable Energy Sources is a project initiated in 2013. Since then the renewable energy market started to reach maturity and a need appeared for staff training for wind turbine service and maintenance. The academy has planned from the start to bring added value and participate in professionalizing the field.

What are the most encouraging trends for you in terms of solutions that WPE can provide?

Wind Power Energy (WPE) is a company member of Monsson Group and has been involved from the start in Romania’s wind industry. So far, WPE has worked, to some extent, in each wind farm in Romania, providing consulting and design services, efficiency and innovating technology. Now, reaching maturity, the market needs internationally certified specialists, trained at international standards.

From the training perspective, WPE has as main target the training and re-certification of all technicians in Romania and in the neighboring countries. All service and maintenance technicians must re-certify their competences every year, both technical and work safety skills. Only in this way the “zero harm” policy can be successfully applied.

What exactly do you find particularly challenging in the project of the ?

There are challenges in every field. Currently, we want to apply this standard locally and adapt the legislation in Romania according to these requirements. Our academy trains technicians for wind turbine service and maintenance and technicians for the inspection and repair of blades. These jobs do not exist in the list of professions. Thus, we plan to introduce them in 2015 in the list of professions and be able to certify them at national level.

Have you identified anything different in the Romanian market compared to the other markets in South-East Europe in terms of technical maintenance services?

In Romania, we have specialists and technicians that are as skilled as those in Europe, sometimes maybe even above the average level of competence. What is different however is the degree of responsibility that each of them undertakes and applies when doing their job. We have the responsibility, as country that for 3 years was in top 10 best countries in the world in terms of increase in the number of wind turbines installed, to apply the latest methods and processes to carry out the work at the same level of quality and performance.