MEWP Hire for Renewable Energy & Wind Turbine Projects
Safe and reliable access equipment is essential when working at height on wind farms and other renewable energy sites. AFI Rentals provides specialist MEWP hire solutions for contractors, maintenance teams and wind turbine technicians across the UK, supporting construction, installation, inspection, servicing and repair work.
Our powered access fleet provides practical solutions for demanding wind farm environments, including boom lifts, truck-mounted platforms and spider MEWPs. Depending on the application, these machines can provide the working height, outreach and manoeuvrability needed to reach turbine blades, components and other elevated areas.
Whether you are arranging planned servicing, blade inspection, installation work or urgent repairs, AFI Rentals can help you identify a suitable access solution for your project.
MEWP Hire for Wind Farms
Wind turbine work can involve significant heights, restricted access, exposed locations and challenging ground conditions. Select the right access equipment based on the turbine, task, and working environment.
AFI Rentals provides MEWP solutions for a broad range of activities across renewable energy projects UK-wide, including:
• New wind turbine construction and installation
• Blade installation and associated works
• Planned and preventative servicing
• Routine turbine inspections
• Emergency repairs and breakdown response
• Blade inspections
• Asset and structural inspections
• Condition assessment work
• Blade repair and performance-related applications
• Installation and replacement of turbine components
MEWPs for Wind Turbine Technicians and Maintenance Teams
A wind turbine technician may need to access different sections of a turbine depending on the work being undertaken. External components, blades and elevated equipment can present challenging access requirements, particularly at remote wind farm locations.
MEWPs provide a practical platform for work at height while helping contractors reduce the time spent setting up alternative access systems.
AFI Rentals can support teams undertaking electrical, mechanical, structural, and blade-related applications where the selected machine suits the task. For a wind turbine mechanic, having dependable access to elevated components can be particularly important during planned servicing, inspection and repair programmes.
The right machine depends on factors such as working height, outreach, platform capacity, terrain, access routes, and the nature of the work.
Supporting Wind Turbine Construction and Installation
MEWPs can play an important role throughout wind farm development and installation. Construction contractors may need elevated access for turbine assembly, while installation teams may need powered access for fitting, inspection, and related activities.
Our access solutions can support:
• New turbine installation
• Blade installation activities
• Construction-stage inspections
• Electrical and mechanical installation
• Component fitting and replacement
• Commissioning-related access
• Structural and equipment inspections
Before deploying equipment, contractors should consider the required working envelope, ground conditions, access route, machine dimensions, and platform capacity. This helps ensure the chosen MEWP suits the work area.
Wind Farm Maintenance and Repair
Regular servicing is essential to keep wind turbines operating reliably and to identify potential issues before they develop into more significant problems. Access equipment can be required for both scheduled programmes and responsive repair work.
AFI Rentals provides MEWP solutions for a range of maintenance applications, including planned servicing, inspections, component replacement and emergency access.
Planned Maintenance
Routine and preventative work can require repeated access to elevated turbine components. Selecting the right machine in advance lets maintenance contractors plan work around the required height, reach, and site conditions.
Emergency Repairs
Unexpected faults can require technicians to reach elevated components quickly. A suitable MEWP can give repair teams access to investigate or resolve issues while maintaining appropriate work-at-height procedures.
Blade Inspection and Repair
Regular blade inspections can help identify visible damage, wear, and other issues that require attention. Depending on the work area, suitable boom lifts or other access platforms can provide the reach inspection and repair teams need.
Boom Lift Hire for Renewable Energy Projects
Boom lift hire can suit wind turbine inspection, maintenance, installation, and repair tasks that require substantial working height or outreach.
Choose between telescopic and articulating configurations based on the turbine design, work position, required reach, ground conditions, access route, and operating environment.
AFI Rentals can help contractors review these requirements and identify an access platform that matches the application rather than simply selecting the largest machine available.
Lifting Attachments for Renewable Energy Work
Some maintenance and installation tasks may involve moving smaller tools, components or materials to elevated working areas.
Certain truck-mounted MEWPs can be fitted with suitable lifting attachments for approved applications and loads. This can provide an additional handling option for smaller components where the machine and attachment are specifically designed and rated for the task.
Assess every lifting application against the machine's rated capacity, the manufacturer's instructions, and the job requirements. Use MEWPs and lifting accessories only for their intended and approved purposes.
Access for Blade Performance and Protection Work
Wind turbine blades require regular inspection and care to maintain their condition and performance.
Specialist blade applications can include Leading Edge Protection (LEP) and Vortex Generator (VG) work.
Leading Edge Protection helps protect vulnerable areas of a blade from erosion caused by environmental exposure. Vortex Generators are aerodynamic devices installed on appropriate sections of a blade to influence airflow and support aerodynamic performance.
These applications can require access to precise sections of a blade. Working height, horizontal outreach, platform capacity and machine positioning are therefore important when selecting the appropriate MEWP.
AFI Rentals can help contractors assess their access requirements and identify equipment suitable for the planned application.
Site Surveys and MEWP Selection
Start equipment selection before the machine arrives on site.
A pre-work assessment can consider:
• Required working height
• Horizontal outreach
• Platform capacity
• Machine dimensions
• Site access routes
• Ground conditions
• Slopes and uneven terrain
• Crane pads and working areas
• Environmental conditions
• Number of machines required
• Duration and sequence of the work
Assessing these factors in advance can help contractors avoid choosing equipment that cannot safely reach the required work area.
For larger wind farm maintenance programmes, planning the number and types of MEWPs required can also help coordinate different stages of the work and reduce avoidable delays.
MEWP Access on Challenging Ground Conditions
Wind farms are often situated in locations where uneven, sloping or difficult terrain can affect access equipment positioning.
Assess ground conditions before positioning a MEWP. Depending on the machine and site, ground protection or suitable load-distribution systems may be required to manage ground loading and support stable positioning.
Ground assessment should form part of the overall access plan where applicable. Always operate the selected machine within the manufacturer's specified limits and in accordance with site conditions.
Wind Farm Safety and Competent MEWP Operation
Safety is a key consideration for every work-at-height operation. Wind farm sites can combine considerable working heights with remote locations, exposed weather, uneven terrain and complex maintenance activities.
Establish appropriate wind farm safety equipment, site planning and operator competence before work begins.
MEWP operators should have suitable training and authorisation for the equipment they operate. IPAF MEWP training is widely recognised across the powered access industry and covers different categories of mobile elevating work platforms.
Site-specific induction, machine familiarisation, risk assessments, rescue arrangements and emergency procedures should also be considered where required by the project.
Supporting Renewable Energy Projects Across the UK
AFI Rentals supports contractors and businesses working across UK renewable energy projects, providing access solutions for different stages of a wind turbine's lifecycle.
Our MEWP solutions can support wind farm construction, turbine installation, blade installation, planned servicing, preventative maintenance, emergency repair work, blade inspections, condition assessment, component replacement and specialist blade applications.
Whether you are arranging access for a single maintenance task or managing a larger renewable energy project, choosing the right machine at the planning stage can help make the work more controlled and suitable for the specific application.
Reliable Powered Access for Renewable Energy
Access equipment should be selected around the requirements of the job rather than simply choosing the largest machine available. Working height, outreach, terrain, access restrictions, platform capacity and the work being performed all influence the most appropriate MEWP.
AFI Rentals provides powered access hire solutions for contractors working across the UK's renewable energy sector, giving businesses access to specialist equipment without the capital investment and ongoing fleet-management requirements associated with owning every machine they may need.
If you require truck-mounted access, a telescopic platform, articulated boom or spider MEWP for wind turbine work, our team can help assess your requirements and identify a suitable solution.
Contact AFI Rentals today to discuss your wind farm or renewable energy access requirements and arrange a suitable site assessment.
Choosing the Right Wind Farm Access Platform
Every renewable energy site has different access requirements. The right wind farm equipment depends on the work height and position, horizontal reach, platform capacity, terrain, machine dimensions, and available access routes.
Common powered access solutions include:
Truck-Mounted MEWPs
Truck-mounted platforms combine elevated access with mobility between different work locations. They can be useful for inspection, servicing and repair activities where equipment needs to move around a larger site.
Telescopic boom lifts offer substantial working height and horizontal outreach. They can be suitable where technicians need to reach elevated areas from a position away from the turbine or work zone.
Articulating boom lifts use multiple boom sections to position flexibly around obstacles. This configuration can be particularly useful when the work area is offset or difficult to approach directly.
A spider MEWP can offer a practical solution where access is restricted, or conventional equipment is difficult to position. Compact dimensions and tracked configurations can provide additional flexibility on suitable terrain.
AFI provides safe and sustainable work-at-height solutions to the onshore wind industry, which help wind farm owners and operators work towards reducing the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE).
A fleet of over 6,000 MEWPs has working heights up to 75m and covers the whole of the UK and Ireland for routine, planned, preventative or emergency repairs and maintenance.
The Levelised Cost of Electricity (LCOE) is the discounted lifetime cost of building and operating a generation asset, expressed as a cost per unit of electricity generated (£/MWh). It covers all the generator's relevant costs, including pre-development, capital, operating, fuel, and financing costs.
The main goal of completing essential maintenance and inspection of wind turbine assets is to get them working as quickly as possible and minimise downtime to maximise energy production.
AFI Rentals supports Severfield with a cleaner access solution at Lostock facility
The largest specialist structural steelwork group in the UK, Severfield plc, founded in 1978, are synonymous with quality, innovation and expertise. Since inception, they have been involved in numerous high-profile projects including Coal Drops Yard, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, 22 Bishopsgate, and Western Europe’s tallest skyscraper, The Shard.
Severfield Lostock Facility
Powered Access for onshore wind farm and wind turbine projects
Work on wind farms requires sophisticated planning and resources to help complete every job efficiently. At AFI, we work with the client to ensure that they have all the equipment and project management support before the blade maintenance season starts, right through to the end.
More and more, MEWPs are being recognised by contractors and individual service providers as safer, faster, and more stable than traditional rope access for repairing and maintenance work on Wind Turbine Generators (WTGs). This brings efficiencies and cost savings through better quality repairs and reduced working times on each task.
Typical works on blades and wind turbine assets include:
• New blade installations
• New turbine construction and installation
• Planned/Routine/Preventative repair works
• Planned/Routine/Preventative maintenance works
• Emergency and breakdown works
• Blade and wind turbine inspection condition reports
• Blade and wind turbine asset inspections
• Blade performance enhancement works (LEP and VG) to improve efficiency
WTGs focus on two main areas for blade performance, which leads to increased Annual Energy Production (AEP), and AFI provides MEWPs for both:
Leading Edge Protection (LEP) – This is applied to protect the turbine blade's outer section, generating the most power and travelling at speeds up to 200mph. At these speeds, the blade's leading edge will erode due to contact with particles of dirt, dust, water or ice in the air.
Vortex Generators (VG) - These are tiny fins or winglets applied to the turbine blade's inner section (root), nearest the hub, which is turning more slowly. They are designed to improve the airflow over the blade, generating more torque to turn the rotor and generate power.
Each component of the blades and the wind turbine structure needs to be in good condition; this requires the machines to deliver a full schedule of planned work over the blade season.
View our Renewables Support PDF below, or download a copy here.
Popular powered access machines used for renewable projects
Truck Mounted Lifts
Telescopic Boom Lifts
Articulating Boom Lifts
Spider Lifts
Why choose AFI?
AFI's Access Solutions for Renewables can help you reduce costs and improve efficiencies through:
Pre-works detailed survey reports:
An experienced Site Surveyor will recommend the optimum number of machines required to meet the project or season's working at height requirements.The pre-works site survey report will recommend suitable machines, self-propelled MEWPs, operated truck mounts, or spider-lifts based on the project requirements.
Experienced IPAF-licensed machine operators on-site:
An experienced IPAF-licensed machine operator attends the site with each truck-mounted MEWP throughout the project to safely enable the machine's use to its optimum potential. As well as holding an IPAF Licence, which is a recognised working at height standard by the GWO, our Operators also hold Fire Safety, Manual Handling and First Aid training certificates.
Plate load testing:
Plate load testing can be conducted, and ground or multi-mat systems ensure the machine point loads are well within the safety margins for the site or crane pad conditions. The surface area of the multi-mat systems is critical to meet the maximum permissible point loading of the crane pads.AFI's truck-mounted MEWPs provide optimum stability and manoeuvrability and come equipped with mats and baulk timbers to set up in most ground conditions, including rough terrain and uneven ground. Site operators can access remote locations to perform wind turbine repairs and maintenance even on challenging sites.
Lifting attachments:
Lifting attachments are provided on our 37m – 75m truck-mount range for smaller components up to 350 kg, reducing the requirement for additional lifting equipment. We offer trucks with on-board power to the platforms for power tools.
Flexible weather rates:
Weather rates are offered to help complete maintenance and repair work through the summer months to help offset any additional plant hire costs during seasonal and weather-related work suspensions. (conditions apply)Carbon Offsetting & Net Zero goals:
We offer a large fleet of hybrid-powered machines, reducing CO2 emissions, fuel costs and machine downtime. Almost two-thirds of AFI's rental fleet is now 'Green Machines (electric/hybrid), and we have recently invested more than £16m in the electric/hybrid fleet. AFI continues investing in technology that streamlines processes and increases efficiency, enhancing the customer experience and improving the group's environmental impact.When you hire a MEWP with AFI, you can offset 200% of our collections and 100% of our deliveries to the site if you transact with us digitally when ordering and off-hiring equipment.
Read more here:
Safety Days – Best practice & familiarisation:
AFI-Rentals clients receive Pre-season Tool Box Talks workshops on machine familiarisation, emergency lowering procedures, best practice when operating and MEWP safety systems for all operators at one of our 18 national depot locations. These safety days are free of charge to AFI-Rentals clients, and each trainee will receive a Certificate of Attendance.Industry-leading Customer Service:
Fast customer service response times are achieved via various communication channels between the client and the AFI National Service Team. Regional mobile service engineers ensure maximum uptime on the MEWPs, enabling customers to keep the turbines operating.
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