“Transporting all the components up the mountains was a significant challenge,… we encountered tigers, bears, and other wildlife. It could be quite dangerous in those areas.”
Young Ravi completed his studies in 2005 and soon found work as a technician with a German company, where he learned the fundamentals of the field. “I handled routine maintenance and breakdown maintenance. After a few years, I wanted to take on new challenges, so I transitioned to construction sites.” It was time for him to embark on a wind farm safari in the open fields.
Some of these assignments were remarkable logistical feats, mainly when the wind turbines were installed high in the mountain ranges of Western Ghats India. “Transporting all the components up the mountains was a significant challenge,” he remarks. The steep mountains were only one of the obstacles. “We encountered tigers, bears, and other wildlife. It could be quite dangerous in those areas,” he acknowledges. Did he ever have to climb a wind turbine to escape a Bengal tiger? “No, no, it wasn’t that bad!” he responds, laughing.
The initial turbines he worked on were modest 600 KW machines, but his career evolved in tandem with the industry. By the early 2010s, he was installing 1.5 MW turbines. “When I joined ACCIONA as an assembly manager in 2016, the company brought the latest technology to India. With a 3 MW capacity, it was the largest in the country at that time.”
Why ACCIONA?
Until 2016, Ravi traveled to various wind farms in India while working with two German companies. During these years, he also became a father of two. However, he began to feel a sense of restlessness. “In my previous jobs, I found myself doing the same repetitive tasks. I felt there were no opportunities to explore and develop my skills,” he explains. It was then that a colleague told him about a job opening at ACCIONA, in the Energy business. “I heard it was one of the largest companies in Spain, with a positive work environment and a strong emphasis on training. So, I saw it as the best opportunity to challenge myself.”