Press, Events & News

BZEE will exhibit at WindEnergy Hamburg, the world’s largest wind energy trade fair, which takes place between 24-27 September 2024 in Germany’s largest port city. More than 1,600 exhibitors from over 40 countries, including the wind industry’s biggest names, will gather to present the latest innovations and discuss current topics and future trends in this rapidly growing renewable sector. More than 40,000 attendees from 100 countries are expected to attend, making WindEnergy Hamburg a ‘must-visit’ event for anyone involved in the wind industry. The fair offers excellent networking opportunities and BZEE looks forward to showcasing its expertise and services to a targeted audience and meeting familiar faces again in what promises to be an exciting and informative event. Contact BZEE today to receive discounted entry tickets and visit us at stand 239.6 in Hall A4.
 

Recruitment is no easy task in many industry sectors and the wind industry is no exception. This is especially the case in Germany where there is a genuine shortage of trained wind turbine technicians. Therefore, BZEE teamed up with network partner bfw, and other wind industry partners, at bfw's Wind Energy Training Facility in Bremerhaven, Germany to promote recruitment in the wind industry to a wider audience at an in-house fair. The fair attracted representatives from regional job centres, recruitment companies along with wind industry companies looking for apprentices and new technicians as well as participants interested in a career in this rapidly expanding green sector. bfw Bremerhaven is one of Germany's leading providers of training for wind turbine technicians and runs several courses per year focusing on both on and onshore technology at its fully-equipped facility. bfw instructors have many years of industry experience offering course participants a quality hands-on learning experience in a realistic training environment.
 

BZEE's French partners recently gathered together in Le Mans, France to discuss how to cooperate more closely and better meet the training and recruitment needs of companies in the French wind energy sector. The meeting was attended by many of BZEE's French vocational training partners including GRETA-CFA des Ardennes, GRETA de Nîmes Lycée Dhuoda, Lycée Professionel Raoul Mortier along with industry partners CEPS and CWS. The meeting was kindly hoisted by BZEE partner Lycée Professionel Claude Chappe at its wind turbine technician training facility in Arnage south of Le Mans.
The meeting was a great opportunity for partners to network and exchange best practice ideas and strategies along with ideas on how to reduce auditing costs for industry standards such as GWO. The meeting was deemed a success and the group plan to meet on a regular basis in the future. Click on the link to find out more about BZEE's global network and the training courses they offer. 
 

The Kick-Off Meeting (KOM) of the ERASMUS+ project WINDd recently took place in Viana do Castelo, Portugal at the facilities of the project partner IPVC. WINd focuses on upskilling technical workers from unsustainable energy sectors in the EU to boost employability in the wind industry. The project consists of partners from 5 EU countries and will run over a two-year period. The KOM enabled the project partners to meet in person for the first time, discuss administrative procedures and create a road map for the project and delegate tasks to each partner. Monthly online project meetings will be held to aid communication between partners and social media accounts along with a website, logo and brochure are currently being created to introduce the project to a wider audience. 
 

BZEE is thrilled to announce a collaboration with SIOETC, one of China’s leading training providers to the maritime and wind industries. SIOTEC is a member of the International Maritime Rescue Federation and offers a variety of standardized training courses including OPITO and GWO under realistic conditions at its well-equipped facility in Shandong Province, Eastern China. In the initial phase of this strategic partnership, both companies will engage in a dynamic brand promotion campaign across their extensive networks.Furthermore, both companies are currently in advanced discussions to extend their partnership beyond brand promotion. The talks include a visionary plan to collaborate on the delivery of training courses in China, adhering to the high standards set by BZEE. This step signifies a commitment to excellence and a shared vision for fostering professional development and innovation in the Chinese market. Visit the SIOTEC website to find out more about one of China’s premier training facilites.

BZEE is proud to announce it is part of a consortium that has secured funding for an ERASMUS+ project focusing on upskilling technical workers from unsustainable energy sectors in the EU to boost employability in the fast-growing wind industry. The project called WINd consists of experts from Belgium, Germany, Greece and Spain and will run over a two-year period. BZEE’s contribution will focus on gap analysis between blue-collar workers from unsustainable energy sectors and wind turbine technicians and the development of a re-training curriculum tailored to facilitate the employment of such workers in the wind industry. The so-called Kick Off Meeting (KOM) will take place in February 2024 where the final delegation of project tasks will be decided upon. 

BZEE participated in the 31st edition of Germany’s leading wind energy conference, Windenergietage, which took place between 8-10 November 2023 in Potsdam, Germany. More than 3500 experts, including many of the wind industry’s biggest names, gathered to discuss current topics and future trends in Germany’s wind industry. The conference included an exhibition and social events, which proved to be excellent networking opportunities according to BZEE MD Uwe Geiling. BZEE looks forward to participating in the next edition of the conference and sharing its consulting and training expertise with a targeted audience. Visit the Windenergietage website for more information or to register for next year’s event.

BZEE recently exhibited at the FUKUSHIMA Renewable Energy Industrial Fair (REIF) one of Japan’s leading trade fairs for the­ renewables sector, which aims to facilitate the goal of a new society based on hydrogen and renewable energy in Fukushima Prefecture by 2050 and turn the region into a pioneering location for renewables globally. The fair enabled BZEE to showcase its expertise in vocational training and promote the BZEE brand to a wider Japanese and international audience. Additionally, numerous high-level B2B meeting with Japanese companies were held during the fair. Several of these meetings led to on-site visits to potential partners for BZEE’s growing global network of training providers for the wind industry. A special thank you goes to the staff of Energy Agency Fukushima (EAF) whose generous and continued support made the trip to Japan much easier to navigate and a great success.
Good to know: EAF’s goal is to create a leading hub for renewables in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan by organizing domestic and international events, joint exhibitions at international trade fairs and supporting enterprises in the field of renewable energy. Visit the EAF website for more information.

BZEE’s newest partner, Australian-based Federation University, recently visited Germany as part of a global study tour to gain insights into how to ramp up a state-of-the-art training facility for the wind industry. As part of a journey that spanned three continents, Federation University’s Associate Director of Partnerships and Growth, Bill Mundy, visited BZEE to discuss best practice examples of how to deliver the BZEE Service Technician course in Australia and how the two institutions could further expand cooperation in the future. Visits were also made to Nordex’s Global Technical Academy and Deutsche Windtechnik’s training facility. To round off the study tour, a visit to the iconic HUSUM WIND trade fair was organized where the who’s who of the wind industry gathers every second year. Federation University plans to run its first BZEE Service Technician course in early 2024.

BZEE, the leading provider of vocational training for the wind industry has expanded its services to include a training and consultancy package for the growing GWO training provider network. Although GWO focuses mainly on commercial short-term safety training for the wind industry, much of the expertise that BZEE has built up over the last 20 years in vocational training can be utilized to assist in the ramping up GWO training facilities. The BZEE package includes consulting on how to set up a GWO-conform facility along with Instructor Qualification Training and support in the development of a suitable Quality Management System. BZEE Managing Director Uwe Geiling is more than pleased with developments and recently stated, “The demand for BZEE’s consultancy services related to GWO is currently high with contracts from all corners of the globe currently on the books. Our success is down to the comprehensive package we offer our clients enabling them to gain fast-track GWO certification, whilst saving them time and money”. Click here to get a concise overview of BZEE's GWO training and consultancy package.

Established more than 20 years ago, BZEE’s task was to fill the skills gap in the then fledgling German wind industry with a focus on OEM independent hands-on vocational training. Today BZEE has grown into the world’s leading Network of vocational training providers for wind turbine technicians. More than 4,500 technicians have been trained to the BZEE standard on five continents, with Australia soon to become the sixth continent in 2024. The upcoming milestone of 1TW of installed wind is a time for reflection for the BZEE Network and it is enormously proud of the contribution it has made to the almost 1TW of installed wind capacity around the world by training many of the technicians who keep the turbines running. Wind energy is the fastest growing source of renewable energy. With this growth, comes the need for more trained technicians to maintain and operate future turbines and the BZEE Network looks forward to helping to meet this growing demand around the world. Click here for an overview of the BZEE Network of training providers.

Good to know: BZEE training courses are designed to provide the skills and knowledge necessary for a technician to safely, and efficiently, work on all types of wind turbines. BZEE courses are developed and regularly updated to ensure they reflect the latest standards and best practices in the industry. All BZEE Network partners are committed to providing the highest quality training in a safe and supportive environment, for the benefit of both trainees and the global wind industry.

 Australian BZEE partner Federation University is now one step closer to delivering its first BZEE Wind Turbine Technician training course after automotive teacher Andrew Edwards successfully completed the 8-week BZEE Instructor Qualification Training program at BZEE’s partner facility Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC) in Michigan, USA. Andrew is currently the only BZEE qualified wind turbine technician instructor in the country and is now equipped to “train the trainers” who will then, in turn, be able to deliver BZEE’s globally recognized Wind Turbine Technician training course at Federation’s state-of-the-art Asia Pacific Renewable Energy Training Centre (APRETC). Federation University is currently expanding the APRETC facility and busy building partnerships in the renewables sector with the first BZEE courses planned for early 2024.

BZEE recently signed up to the Pact of Skills, which is one of the flagship actions of the European Skills Agenda. The Pact aims to support public and private organisations with upskilling and reskilling, especially with regard to the green and digital transitions. Members of the Pact have access to knowledge on upskilling and reskilling needs and receive advice on relevant funding instruments to boost the skills of adults in their regions and countries along with partnership opportunities. BZEE looks forward to contributing to the Pact with its expertise in vocational training in the wind energy sector. For more information about the Pact of skills visit: https://pact-for-skills.ec.europa.eu/index_en

BZEE partner and maritime training specialist CEPS has completed the installation of a boat landing system at its training facility located in Lorient, Brittany on the French Atlantic coast. The boat landing structure comes from an operational German offshore wind farm. The structure, which has been attached to the quay wall weighs more than 7 tons and is 14m in length, several of which are below the water level. All offshore wind turbines have boat landing systems connected to the base of the turbine tower that enable technicians to transition from service vessels to the wind turbine. Transition from a vessel to a turbine can be a dangerous undertaking, especially in poor weather conditions and requires prior training. With this latest addition to its infrastructure, CEPS is now able to offer its clients realistic boat landing training scenarios in a safe environment. Click here to find out more about CEPS or to book a training course today.

BZEE Business Development Manager Warren Aspinall recently visited the Dexon Training Center (DTC) in Rayong, Thailand for talks on how the two companies could cooperate in the field of wind energy training. DTC is part of the global Dexon Technology group, which has its roots in oil and gas pipeline inspection and has built up a reputation for quality training in Southeast Asia as a GWO Basic Safety Training and IRATA rope access training provider. The company now wants to build on this solid foundation by adding BZEE’s globally recognized entry-level Wind Turbine Technician training course to its portfolio as the demand for well-trained technicians in Southeast Asia grows. Plans are still at the early stage, however, both companies are confident there is potential for quality technical training in the Southeast Asian wind industry. Click here to find out more about DTC.

The latest group of students from BZEE’s Norwegian network partner, Dalane College in Egersund, recently visited the Nordex Global Technical Academy in Hamburg, Germany to learn more about the skills required to work in the wind energy industry. The students hope to secure jobs in Norway's growing wind energy sector in the future. The Nordex Academy boasts several multi-megawatt Nordex wind turbines and was the ideal location to provide the students with practical knowledge about maintenance, installation, and troubleshooting of wind turbines. As Norway increases its renewable energy capacity, these students are well-positioned to contribute to the transition towards a more sustainable future.

French BZEE partner and maritime training specialist CEPS has completed construction of an innovative training tower for safety training in the wind industry. The new tower makes use of a leftover tower section from a 2MW Vestas wind turbine on top of which a redesigned 20ft shipping container has been attached to replicate the nacelle of a real wind turbine enabling CEPS to offer course participants realistic training scenarios in a secure environment. In a first step, the structure, which has a height of almost 20m and a diameter of 4.5m at the base, will be used for refresher courses for working at heights training. CEPS is a leading provider of real-life safety training for the maritime and wind industries and is located in Lorient, Brittany on the French Atlantic coast. Click here to find out more about CEPS or to book a training course today.

Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA:
BZEE MD Uwe Geiling recently met with his US counterpart Tom Sutton, Director of Wind Energy and Technical Services for the Wind Turbine Technician Academy (WTTA) at Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC) for strategic talks on skill requirements for future wind turbine technicians. Globally, the wind industry is facing a shortage of skilled technicians, something BZEE and the WTTA are committed to solving by addressing the needs of industry in terms of the skill set future technicians will need due to technological developments and more stringent safety requirements. The WTTA has been providing the US wind industry with skilled technicians certified to BZEE’s global standard for more than a decade and is the only training facility that has service contracts for active wind turbines enabling students to gain real-life practical experience in the field before they start work in the wind industry. The WTTA also provides Instructor Qualification on behalf of BZEE for new Network partners who are looking to train future wind turbine technicians in accordance with BZEE standards. The visit to Kalamazoo further cements the close cooperation both organizations already enjoy.”

BZEE and Festo Didactic have recently renewed their longstanding cooperation for promoting excellence in the training of wind turbine technicians. Both companies are convinced that their complementary expertise can holistically support technical schools around the world for the development of industry-relevant training programs and facilities. A learning concept based on BZEE standards and learning systems from Festo Didactic helps to maximize employability of future workers in the wind power industry. Click here to find out more about Festo Didactic learning systems.

BZEE licensed partner Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC) has successfully qualified a group of Vietnamese electricians at its Wind Turbine Technician Academy (WTTA) in Kalamazoo, Michigan in the skills needed to operate and maintain utility scale wind turbines. The group were all employees of Ho-Chi-Min-based EVNGENCO 3 that specializes in electricity production and electric power engineering. The company aims to become one of the leading units in the energy sector, in both investment and development of wind power, in Vietnam and in Southeast Asia. Kalamazoo Valley’s Director of Wind Energy and Technical Services Tom Sutton and his team trained the group over an intensive six-week period including one-week training in the field at a wind farm. “Fundamentally, the electrical skills the group already had were transferable to wind power but the skills they learned were new,” Sutton explained. “The training went really well and was a very positive experience for everyone.”
Initial contact with the Vietnamese company was through BZEE headquarters in Germany who swiftly passed on the training request to KVCC, BZEE’s preferred partner in the English-speaking world. KVCC will soon qualify instructors to teach students to be wind turbine technicians in line with the BZEE Standard for BZEE’s first Australian network partner according to BZEE MD, Uwe Geiling. 

Thanks to a recent donation from long-time educational affiliation partner, Heritage Sustainable Energy, BZEE US partner Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC) now has a new wind turbine to use for hands-on training at its Wind Turbine Technician Academy (WTTA). An open house was recently held to celebrate the donation and showcase the college’s training facility.
The donation consists of generator, gearbox, systems controls and hub assembly of a 160-foot-tall Vestas V44 turbine. The college’s WTTA provided repairs, upgrades and routine service to the turbine from 2014 onwards. The wind turbine was decommissioned in August of 2022 to make way for a two-megawatt solar field expansion.
“Heritage Sustainable Energy has long supported education and the value of programs that help workforce development. The hands-on training our academy students received by servicing the turbine in the field for the last decade has been an important part of our curriculum,” said Tom Sutton, director of wind energy and technical services for the WTTA. “The value of this industry-education partnership is demonstrated by the placement rates of graduates who are made job ready upon graduation because of the willingness of companies like Heritage who believe in high quality, hands-on education.”
KVCC, located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, has been a close BZEE partner since 2009 and has since trained hundreds of wind turbine technicians in accordance with the globally recognized BZEE standard for the rapidly growing US wind industry. More than 96 percent of KVCC’s alumni work in the wind industry, with the majority accepting offers for employment prior to graduation. KVCC offers courses twice a year, in January and July. For more information, visit: https://www.kvcc.edu/academics/wind/ 

BZEE will exhibit at the 30th edition of Germany’s leading wind energy conference, Windenergietage, which takes place between 8-10 November 2022 in a rural setting in the Eastern part of Germany. More than 2000 experts, including some of the wind industry’s biggest names, will gather to discuss current topics and future trends in Germany’s fastest growing renewable sector. The conference includes an exhibition and social events, which have proved to be excellent networking opportunities for attendees in previous years. BZEE looks forward to showcasing its expertise and services to a targeted audience in what promises to be an exciting and informative event. Visit the Windenergietage website for more information and to register.

BZEE Managing Director, Uwe Geiling, was one of a number of wind industry representatives that participated in a German-Vietnamese reception held at the WAB stand during WindEnergy Hamburg. The event highlighted cooperation and investment opportunities for German companies in the growing Vietnamese renewable energy market, with presentations held by officials from the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry & Trade (MOIT) and BZEE cooperation partner morEnergy, Hamburg. BZEE and morEnergy are working together to fill the skills gap in the German wind energy sector by developing a program to train Vietnamese electricians to become wind turbine technicians in accordance with the BZEE standard at several partner facilities in Germany. The first group of technicians are expected to start their training in the second half of 2023. Contact BZEE today for more information on how your company can participate in the program and find new skilled employees.

The BZEE International Partner Meeting 2022 was held at the Nordex Global Technical Academy close to Hamburg, Germany along with the BZEE Association Annual General Meeting on September the 26th to coincide with the WindEnergy Hamburg trade fair. Participants from throughout Europe and beyond enjoyed an informative day and were brought up to date with all the latest developments at BZEE and also got the chance to showcase their training facilities to the BZEE network of partners. The day was rounded off with a tour of the Nordex training facility, which features several utility scale wind turbines used for Nordex-specific training purposes. BZEE would like to thank Nordex for their hospitality.

BZEE is proud to welcome ON-TRA as the latest member of its global online training platform. ON-TRA has almost 20 years of expertise in e-learning training solutions in the electrical safety sector and offers online courses such as Electrically Instructed Persons (EUP), which are a basic requirement for anyone working on or near electrical installations. ON-TRA courses can be done 24/7 from any location worldwide, saving participants and employers money and time. Visit ON-TRA’s dedicated page on the BZEE training platform to learn more about this innovative digital education provider. Alternatively, you can visit ON-TRA at WindEnergy Hamburg from 27-30 September 2022 and try one of their innovative training courses for free at booth A1 545.

BZEE partner Federation University has officially opened Australia’s first wind turbine training tower built to simulate working at heights in a wind turbine at its APRETC facility (Australia-Pacific Renewable Energy Training Centre), which is a partnership between Federation University and the renewable energy industry. The tower is the first phase of a multi-million AUD project partly funded by Vestas, ACCIONA, GPG and Tilt Renewables that will enable renewable energy companies to train workers locally. Circa $2M AUD of funding has also been secured for the next phase, which includes a dedicated rotor blade inspection and repair workshop for the delivery of a Rotor Blade Technician apprenticeship with a targeted start in the third quarter of 2022. Additionally, Federation is currently in the process of securing public and private funding for a dedicated facility to run the complete BZEE service technician program. 

BZEE is proud to announce Berlin-based qhse-bildungsportal.de as the newest member of the BZEE Association. The organisation is part of the 8.2 group and represents the latest innovation for the provided services of quality, health, and safety. 8.2 has been advising clients in the wind energy sector for 25 years on a national and international level with 33 engineering offices and a total of 130 experts to date. This know-how has led to the development of a centralised QHSE platform: bildungsportal.de. BZEE looks forward to engaging with qhse-bildungsportal.de and its members regarding online training and the innovative
QHSE-platform for the wind industry. Visit the qhse-bildungsportal.de website to find out more about qhse-bildungsportal.de and its activities.

BZEE is proud to announce the deepening of its cooperation with German partner HWK, the Chamber of Crafts to Cologne. The HWK vocational training centre has a fully equipped BZEE certified wind turbine technician facility and will function as BZEE’s main hub in Germany/Western Europe for BZEE Train-the-Trainer courses along with GWO BST courses for industry. The HWK has many years of experience not only in the field of wind energy, but also renewables in general and has completed training courses for several projects in Africa in addition to training technicians for the German market. Netherlands BZEE partner Ventureskipper will add its expertise in rotor blade inspection and repair to the new BZEE hub elevating it to a centre of training excellence in wind energy.

BZEE partner Energy Innovation based in Egersund, Norway has taken rescue training to a whole new level. Energy Innovation is Norway’s leading GWO training provider offering a range of courses from Working at Heights to Blade Repair. The company’s latest addition is GWO Advanced Rescue Training carried out on real wind turbines in active wind parks. Realisitic training scenarios offer advantages compared to more run-of-the-mill methods as participants gain real-world experience of dealing with critical rescue situations in a safe and controlled environment leading to more effective results in a worst-case scenario. Ultimately, “it doesn’t get more realistic than this!” says Energy Innovation MD, Frank Emil-Moen. Visit the Energy Innovation website today to find out more about this innovative BZEE partner.

BZEE partner Federation University has completed construction of Australia’s first wind turbine training tower built to simulate working at heights in a wind turbine at its APRETC facility (Australia-Pacific Renewable Energy Training Centre), which is a partnership between Federation University and the renewable energy industry. The tower is the first stage of the $1.8 million project funded by Vestas, ACCIONA, GPG and Tilt Renewables to allow the renewable energy companies to train workers locally. The tower features ladders and safety equipment to give students real-world experience when training to work in the wind industry. BZEE Partner Federation University will be the only training provider in Australia to deliver the Global Wind Organisation (GWO) basic safety training and refresher training courses from a simulated wind turbine tower. APRETC is integral to Federation University becoming the leading training and research partner for Australia’s renewable energy sector. Click here to see to see the tower being constructed.

BZEE is proud to welcome Bremerhaven-based WAB as the latest member of the BZEE Association. The organization is Germany’s leading advocate for the promotion of offshore wind and the leading business network for onshore wind energy in the north-west region. It has more than 250 members ranging from SMEs to large businesses from all sectors of the wind and maritime industries along with research institutes involved in wind related projects. BZEE looks forward to engaging with WAB and its members regarding training and further education in the wind industry. Visit the WAB website to find out more about WAB and its activities.

BZEE recently participated in the 29th edition of Germany’s leading wind energy conference, Windenergietage, in Potsdam close to the German capital Berlin. More than 2000 experts from Germany and beyond, including some of the wind industry’s biggest names, gathered to discuss current topics and future trends. The conference included an exhibition and evening social events, which proved to be excellent networking opportunities for attendees. BZEE also gave a presentation titled A Global Solution to the Shortage of Skilled Labour in the Wind Industry as part of forum focusing on HR and work safety highlighting its globally accepted standardized training concept delivered by almost 30 licensed partners on 5 continents. BZEE is already looking forward to the 30th edition of the conference which takes place from 8-10 November, 2022.

BZEE has participated in the first on-site wind industry trade fair since the start of the Coivd-19 pandemic. HUSUM Wind took place from September 14 to 17, 2021 in Husum, the cradle of Germany’s wind industry. Over 350 exhibitors presented their products and services to more than 8,000 visitors from around the globe. Despite the strict hygiene regulations, the fair proved to be a resounding success for BZEE and was an opportunity to meet current BZEE network partner for the first time in two years and to come into contact with potential new BZEE network partners from as far afield as Peru and Bangladesh. Additionally, the fair enabled BZEE to present the BZEE Training Platform, which lists the training courses of all BZEE partners online, to a global audience for the first time. BZEE is already looking forward to the next HUSUM Wind fair, which takes place in September, 2023.

Despite the travel restrictions associated with Covid-19, the BZEE International Partner Meeting and BZEE Association Annual General Meeting went ahead on the same day as planned at a picturesque waterside venue located close to the northern German city of Flensburg on September the 13th a day before the start of the HUSUM Wind trade fair. Participants from throughout Europe enjoyed an informative day and were brought up to date with all the latest developments at BZEE including plans to expand the BZEE Network and the BZEE Training Platform.

BZEE is proud to announce its very own animated video is now available online. The video is just over 3 minutes long and explains who BZEE are, why it was established and why BZEE matters in the context of vocational training for the wind industry. The video is targeted towards vocational and commercial training providers who are interested in becoming a BZEE partner and towards a broader global audience who want to quickly learn more about BZEE in a clear and simple way. The video is available on YouTube and on the BZEE Network website. BZEE’s new Facebook and Twitter accounts are now also live. Follow us today and keep up to date with everything BZEE!

BZEE network partner Federation University recently started construction on Australia’s first wind turbine training tower at its Ballarat campus in the state of Victoria. This is a significant step in Federation's plans to become the leading training and research partner for Australia’s renewable energy industry. Construction of the 23-meter tower was launched by the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Lily D’Ambrosio, and the Minister for Higher Education, Skills and Training, Gayle Tierney. The tower is being funded by industry partners Vestas, ACCIONA, GPG and Tilt Renewables and is the first stage of Federation’s Asia Pacific Renewable Energy Training Centre (APRETC) and will allow industry to train their workforce locally in Ballarat, the gateway to wind farm developments across Victoria. The first BZEE-certified wind turbine technicians are set to graduate in 2023. Click here to watch the training centre launch video.

BZEE is thrilled to exhibit at HUSUM Wind 2021, the wind industry’s first international trade fair to take place since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Join BZEE, and many of the leading OEMs, to find out about all the latest trends and developments in what promises to be this year’s biggest networking event for the wind industry. HUSUM Wind is the original wind energy trade fair and has taken place for more than 20 years in the small town of Husum located in Germany’s far North, dubbed the birthplace of the modern wind industry. The fair takes place from September 14 to 17, 2021, visit the HUSUM Wind website for more details and ticket information.

BZEE is proud to welcome Energy Innovation, based in Egersund, Norway as its latest member. The company, owned by Caera, operates the Egersund Energy Hub, which is a state-of-the-art innovation centre for R&D in the renewables sector and home to what is on track to become Scandinavia’s largest and best equipped training facility for the wind industry. It already boasts a 30m cutting-edge training tower along with waterfront access and focuses on all aspects of commercial and vocational training in the wind industry, with a particular emphasis on HSE for offshore wind. The company has ambitious plans to further expand the facility to meet the demands of the expanding wind industry in Norway as the country transitions from oil & gas and to utilize advanced digital learning resources such as VR/AR technology. Visit Energy Innovation’s website to find out more about this pioneering company!

BZEE network partner VULCAN Training & Consultancy, strategically located in Stettin in the German/Polish border region, recently commissioned a state-of-the-art simulator for GWO Advanced Rescue Training (ART). The full-scale simulator offers highly realistic training conditions for all types of rescue scenarios on multiple OEM wind turbines. Unlike many rescue training simulators, it is equipped with real wind turbine components offering participants a particularly authentic training experience. In addition to GWO ART, the simulator can be used to offer customized rescue training to meet company-specific requirements. According to Artur Ambrożewicz, VULCAN CEO, the simulator is the culmination of an intensive trail and research phase into how to deliver best practice rescue training making it one of the most advanced simulators in Europe. Visit the VULCAN website to book your ART course today!

BZEE network partner Renewable Energy School of Skills (RESS), located in Constanța, Romania is leading a consortium that has secured EU-funding for a major project to reskill miners from Romania’s coal mining regions. The project focuses on filling the skills gap of miners enabling them to find employment in Romania’s flourishing renewables sector as the country’s fossil fuel industry undergoes an unprecedented period of transition. The long-term project goal is to establish a renewable energy training centre modelled on the RESS training facility in Romania’s Jiu Valley and reskill up to 500 miners per year over a 10-year period. Romania already has more than 3GW of installed wind capacity with more projects currently underway to meet the Romanian government’s 2030 renewable energy targets. Click here for in-depth information about the project and the consortium partners, which includes the Romanian Wind Energy Association (RWEA).

BZEE is proud to announce it has signed an exclusive agreement with Federation University, located in the state of Victoria, Australia to deliver BZEE’s wind turbine technician training course on the Australian continent. The course will be run by Federation’s Technical and Further Education (TAFE) department at a purpose-built facility to be constructed at its Mt Helen campus in Ballarat. The BZEE course is part of a wider initiative by the University to support the development of a skilled workforce addressing the needs of Australia’s rapidly growing wind industry and further bolsters Federation TAFE’s reputation as a leader and early-adopter of globally recognized training. The first BZEE-certified wind turbine technicians are set to graduate as early as 2023. Click here to find out more information about Federation University’s major renewable-skills initiative, which includes Australia’s first apprenticeship in wind turbine blade repair as part of a $1.6 million funding agreement with industry partner Vestas.

BZEE Managing Director Uwe Geiling signed an exclusive contract with VULCAN Training & Consultancy Sp. z.o.o. to add Poland's first BZEE-certified training centre for wind turbine technicians to the network. Vulcan is the Eastern European country's leading provider of GWO and OPITO training for the wind and maritime sectors and BZEE certification will further strengthen Vulcan's position as Poland's premier training provider according to Artur Ambrożewicz, VULCAN General Manger. In a first step, BZEE will support VULCAN in re-training workers formally employed in Poland's coal industry for the country's growing wind industry. In a second step, BZEE will assist VULCAN in implementing the full range of BZEE modules to enable the training provider to offer long-term training courses in accordance with the BZEE standard thus providing Poland's wind industry with well-qualified and safety-conscious employees.

The BZEE Association Board has decided to postpone the BZEE Association Annual General Meeting until 2021 due to the health risks and uncertainties related to the current Covid-19 pandemic . As soon as the situation has stabilized a new meeting date will be announced by the Board. Participation in trade fairs in 2020 has also been cancelled. This includes WindEnergy 2020 in Hamburg, Germany.

BZEE Network GmbH has been chosen to deliver Global Wind Organisation (GWO) Auditor Qualification Training (AQT) globally.
GWO's AQT is a two day online course where participants receive instruction on how to correctly audit GWO training sites, with a focus on how learning objectives are achieved. GWO AQT will become a requirement for all authorised certification bodies from 1st April 2021 and ensures the quality of training delivered at GWO certified training providers is consistent and in compliance with the learning objectives detailed in the relevant standard. Courses will be held regularly in North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, China and Australia as soon as travel restriction due to the pandemic are lifted. BZEE was chosen to deliver the training based on in-house competence in the field of training excellence in wind energy and experience in auditing GWO standards. Visit the GWO events page to register for GWO AQT.

The winner of the recent tender to manage the BZEE Association is now at the helm of the Association. Newly-founded BZEE Network GmbH, headed by Managing Director Mr Uwe Geiling, took over operations on January 1, 2020 and will work closely with the BZEE Association Board. Goals include the expansion of BZEE's global network of training providers along with the further development of strategic partnerships with global players in the wind industry. The Board wishes Mr Geiling and his team every success for the future!

After a lengthy tender process and many hours of careful deliberation, the BZEE Association Board is proud to announce it has awarded the contract to manage the BZEE Association to the newly-founded company BZEE Network GmbH, headed by Managing Director Mr Uwe Geiling. The Board is looking forward to closely cooperating with Mr Geiling, who has more than 10 years of industry experience, and his team from January 1, 2020 in what promises to be a year of exciting developments for BZEE and its global network of partners!

The newly-elected BZEE Association Board has initiated a series of changes to better prepare BZEE for the future. These changes include an invitation to tender for the management of the BZEE Association from January 1, 2020 onwards. The Board looks forward to receiving applications from individuals and companies active in the field of renewables by August 31, 2019. For detailed information and criteria about the tender process please contact the BZEE Association Board. The winner of the tender process will be announced by the end of November 2019.

On May 17th this year's BZEE Association Annual General Meeting took place on the sailing ship "Rickmers Rickmers" moored in Hamburg's harbour, Germany. During the meeting a new BZEE Association Board was elected, wich reflects the international membership of the Association. New Chairman of the Board is Axel Wörner, Head of CC Renewables of Minimax Fire Solutions International GmbH, Germany. Sebastian Enache, Business Development Manager & Member of the Board at Monsson, Romania and Emmanuel Schuddink, CEO at Justy - ingénierie énergies, France were voted in as Board members. The Association will profit from the new Board's competence and international contacts in the wind energy sector and aims to increase its global presence to new wind markets.