Global Wind Workforce Outlook 2025-2030
Workforce Planning and Competence Management Workforce planning is the process of understanding prospective workload requirements and applying this knowledge to inform staffing needs. Throughout the process, workload estimation is essential. In the wind energy sector, workforce planning for wind technician 3 roles involves estimating installation and maintenance workloads specific to wind turbines, while considering critical factors such as technician availability, skills and competence assessments and their alignment with future business goals or technology advancements. This report finds that investors and developers, who operate in the upstream segment, often delegate workforce planning to their partners, a pattern that is particularly pronounced in onshore wind. Onshore projects are typically smaller and dispersed across multiple sites, making direct management of technical staff challenging. Developers focus on
Plant (eBoP) contractor connects the turbines to the substation, handling internal cabling, switchgear, and grid connection works. Some Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractors have the capacity to perform both civil and eBoP scopes. Once construction is complete, the wind farm Owner/Operator becomes the power producer, selling the generated electricity to the grid. To maintain high availability and minimise downtime, O&M are handled either by the owner’s in-house team or by ISPs. When reading the chart, it can be understood as a workflow showing how responsibility flows from project development through construction to operation – starting with the developer (project initiation and contracting), moving through PMC, civil works, turbine supplier, and eBoP during the construction phase, and finally ending with the Owner/Operator responsible for long-term operation and maintenance.
securing approvals and financing, defining workforce eligibility requirements while relying on specialised contractors and service providers for implementation and execution. This approach is reinforced by the established contracting tradition in onshore wind, where a well-developed network of ISPs handle installation, maintenance, and operations, providing flexible, site-specific workforce solutions. This allows developers to concentrate on their core strategic activities. A similar pattern exists in the offshore segment, where it is rare for a single company to manage the entire value chain, from approvals to operating the asset. Projects can still run smoothly even when developers are not directly involved in technical execution. However, in offshore wind, there is often a closer connection – or overlap – between the roles of OEMs and turbine installers. Input for this chapter has been collected from a range of companies, including turbine manufacturers, service providers,
In a wind energy project, the developer (often the investor) is the driving force behind the project, responsible for securing land rights, obtaining government permits, conducting feasibility studies, and arranging financing. Developers also negotiate the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and, after construction, may either operate the wind farm themselves or sell it to another owner. Sometimes, developers manage all contracts directly – including those with turbine suppliers and construction contractors – but they may also appoint a PMC to oversee the project and act as a single point of responsibility. The civil works company begins the physical construction phase, carrying out activities such as building access roads, laying turbine foundations, and preparing logistics and accommodation facilities. After this, the turbine supplier delivers and installs the wind turbines; their engineers often supervise installation and commissioning to ensure technical compliance. The Electrical Balance of
3 A wind turbine technician is a broad term for professionals who are responsible for assembling, installing, inspecting, servicing, maintaining, operating and repairing wind turbines. Global Wind Organisation. (2025, May 23). Job roles in wind: Mapping career pathways for wind turbine technicians. Global Wind Organisation.
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Chapter 4: Wind Projects Duty Holders and Workforce Planning
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