As Australia’s wind farms multiply across remote hills and coastlines, keeping these giant turbines spinning is a challenge. Technicians often must work hundreds of metres in the air, battling harsh weather and tight timelines to inspect and repair blades and hubs.
LinCon Hire & Sales, one of the largest suppliers of truck-mounted elevated work platforms in Australia, has emerged as a critical partner in this realm. The Brisbane-based access equipment company provides high-reaching machinery of up to a height of 103 metres (m), and skilled operators for wind turbine maintenance.
Craig Lindores, Chief Executive Officer LinCon Hire & Sales said as turbines get taller, the need for reliable at-height access has never been greater. LinCon’s job is to ensure no turbine is out of reach.
Established in 2001, LinCon Hire & Sales quickly grew to become a leader in elevated work platforms (EWPs) and access equipment across Australia. That meant partnering with top-tier international manufacturers including industry heavyweights such as Palfinger (Germany), Barin (Italy), and Bronto Skylift (Finland).
“It was a game-changer for safety. Suddenly, instead of improvised solutions, Australian companies had access to purpose-built machines certified to international standards,” Craig said.
Wind farm maintenance
Damien Pollock, General Manager at LinCon Hire & Sales, said LinCon’s expertise shines in wind energy maintenance.
“We’ve been involved with wind farms from the early days of the boom. Our platforms and crew have serviced turbines across different states – from the plains of South Australia to the mountains of Tasmania.”
The company’s gear is engineered to tackle the unique challenges of turbine maintenance at extreme heights. For instance, LinCon offers the Palfinger WT1000, a 103-metre (m) access platform known as the “Queen of the Skies,” which was developed specifically for wind turbine assembly and maintenance.
LinCon Hire & Sales is currently the only company in Australia with EWPs that tall.
“Having a 103-metre boom on call means we can reach turbine blades and hubs that were previously only accessible by crane or rope,” Craig said. “It’s a huge advantage for the wind sector – we provide a stable work platform up there, instead of someone abseiling in mid-air.”
The 103m platform can lift multiple technicians plus tools, weighing up to 530 kilograms, in a spacious basket nearly four metres wide, and it offers up to 36m of horizontal outreach for hard-to-reach turbine components.
“We’ve saved clients significant time and money by eliminating all the crane rigging and dismantling between turbines,” Damien said. “Our crew drives the EWP from tower to tower – it’s efficient. At one project, we knocked out maintenance on multiple turbines in a week, which would have taken a month if you were relying on cranes.”
Training for extreme heights
Operating a 103m boom lift in strong winds and tight turbine clearances is specialised work requiring intense focus and skill. LinCon’s operators undergo rigorous training and certification to ensure safety at elevation.
“You can’t have a fear of heights in this job, that’s for sure,” Damien said. “But it goes beyond that – our operators train for months on emergency procedures, rescue drills, and the technical aspects of the machines. When you’re 103m up in a swaying basket, you must know how to handle the machine and any situation calmly.”
Speed, safety and efficiency advantages
Leveraging EWPs instead of traditional rope access or cranes has given LinCon and its clients a safety and efficiency edge. A prime example is setup time: LinCon’s truck-mounted platforms can be ready to work at height in as little as 15 minutes, compared to the many hours (or even days) it might take for a rope access team to rig and climb a turbine.
“It’s amazing to watch – we can drive up, deploy the outriggers, and telescope up to full height in a quarter of an hour,” Damien said. “By contrast, rope techs might spend an entire day just getting their ropes installed on one blade. If bad weather rolls in, all prep work goes down the drain. With our method, if the weather window is short, we get in and get out quickly.”
Regulatory challenges
Moving such gigantic machinery around Australia does pose challenges. LinCon’s 103m EWP, for instance, weighs around 60 tonne and is classified as an oversized vehicle. The company has tackled this head-on by working closely with regulators to streamline transport. Damien said the company collaborates with regulatory bodies such as the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator to improve road access for the biggest machines.