Narrator: A harness and a rope
are the only tools
keeping wind turbine technicians safe.
Narrator: These turbines are about the size
of a 35-floor skyscraper.
Narrator: Just a few years ago,
they weren't even possible to build.
Narrator: João Sardo and his partner
are the only specialists
who do these climbs for Generg,
a renewable energy company in Portugal.
And their job is in high demand,
as more European countries adopt wind energy.
We went inside and outside a wind turbine
with João to see what makes his job
such a risky business.
Wind turbines rarely break,
but when they do,
they're hard and expensive to fix.
Narrator: That's why he always inspects everything
from the ground first.
Narrator: João is a trained mechanical engineer
who joined Portugal's booming wind industry
back in 2004.
Today, he's doing a routine inspection
of a new turbine at a wind farm
in the mountains of Caramulo.
Narrator: Drones have made his job much easier.
They help him locate the damage
before climbing.
One drone can check eight turbines in a day,
while João and his partner take an entire day
to inspect just one.
But there are still things only human eyes
and hands can find.
Narrator: He wears special boots
that don't have any metal
so they're safe around electricity
and leather gloves that won't burn
if he needs to quickly rappel
down the rope.
A crane hauls up a bag packed with ropes,
rappelling gear,
and other tools they'll need at the top.
João is gonna climb up this metal ladder,
because the elevator here
is out of service.
Narrator: This rail lifeline
makes sure they don't get hurt
if they miss a step.
As an extra safety measure,
the turbine is turned off before each climb,
but the transformer is live
to keep the lights on.
It's about 300 steps to the top.
João usually stops once or twice
to catch his breath
when he feels his hands losing their grip.
After about 15 minutes,
he reaches the nacelle,
the heart of a wind turbine
where the generator sits.
Sometimes he has to deal with issues here,
but today, he's checking the blades,
so he steps outside.
Narrator: João and his partner
will inspect the blades from up close
to make sure there's been no damage
since it's been installed.
Narrator: Technicians always work
in teams.
Narrator: They use hammers
to check for damage under the fiberglass surface.
The sound tells them whether the materials
are fracturing underneath.
João travels across Europe
to train other professionals.
A turbine technician normally makes
about $36,000 a year,
nearly double the average salary in Portugal.
And João earns much more than that.
Narrator: One time,
a colleague did get hurt.
Narrator: The company João works for,
Generg, doesn't manufacture turbines,
but installs them throughout the country.
The larger ones can generate 4.8 megawatts
of energy in an hour,
that's enough to power 5,000 European homes.
Portugal has been heavily investing in wind energy
since the early 2000s,
Today, 70% of Portugal's energy
comes from renewable sources.
Narrator: By 2040,
the country expects to run only on renewables,
but there are still challenges
with transportation.
Narrator: João isn't really safe
until he's back on the ground.
Every second of the climb was dangerous.
Narrator: But he says
he still loves his job.