Andrew Rowe, a Construction Manager for Boom Logistics, is responsible for the construction of the company’s wind farm projects. With 20 years in the crane and wind construction industry and eight of those years with Boom, Andrew explains how detailed planning, expertise and investment in the right technology are key to delivering projects successfully in this increasingly competitive sector.

Together with Project Manager, Nick Morris, Andrew is involved with each project at the tendering stage.

“With each project, I work with Nick from the tender stage putting together and costing all processes,” Andrew said.

“Once we win a project, my role is  focused on managing the day-to-day construction and operational activities, which includes dealing with the client, employing and managing personnel, mobilising equipment and managing the construction works.”

The right capabilities

Uniquely, Boom Logistics holds an Open Builder licence from the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) as well as being accredited with a Queensland Electrical Contractor’s licence. Andrew explains the importance of these accreditations.

“With our current operations in Queensland, these accreditations provide the assurance and certainty to our customer.  They require us to implement processes to ensure quality and performance, such as the establishment of QBCC supervisors onto the projects,” he said. “In any state where you are conducting electrical work, and you are the main contractor, you must have a contractor’s electrical licence. Boom Logistics has been constructing wind farms in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria for many years and always held an electrical licence in the relevant jurisdictions.”

The right preparation

He goes on to explain the planning processes for these big projects and at what stage Boom Logistics gets involved.

“When we start talking to a potential client and get invited to tender, Nick and I sit down and go through a breakdown of constructability, which includes required personnel and equipment. We then design everything around that, and consider where Boom can add value. Things then progress to contract stage and Nick spends time putting the contract together from there,” said Andrew.

The right equipment

“We manage the mobilisation of our equipment to the site, and when wind turbines and components arrive, we take control of the offloading and manage that scope of works. This can involve over 1,300 single lifts of components, as was the case at our Clark Creek project, where we utilised a 500t and 250t capacity all terrain crane. At Clarke Creek our crew offloaded 100 turbines without incident,” said Andrew.

Boom Logistics operates three Liebherr LG 1750s. Two are currently working at Clark Creek and one is on works within Victoria. Andrew explains the logistics of moving these huge pieces of equipment around wind farms.

“The LG1750s are the ‘go-to crane’ when it comes to the main installation works. Our Liebherr LTM 1500 is very versatile and works alongside the LGs for pre-install and sometimes blade installation on the shorter turbines. We have sites with gradients up to 20 per cent and 900 metre-long declines, so moving this big gear around site safely is one of the main challenges.

“To assist in moving the cranes we operate 200t capacity, ‘block trucks’ which connect to the front or the back of the machine, depending on whether we’re going up or down hill ,to make sure we’ve got full control. The Crane OEMs provide guidance on how to move them in and in what configuration, but typically with heavy transport it comes down to experience on what we can and cannot do on a different terrain. Typically one move of our LG 1750 across site would involve over 100 truckloads,” he said.

The right people

With ongoing construction works since 2016, the Boom Logistics team boasts plenty of experience.

“Wherever possible, we try and keep a core crew together and when we secure the larger projects we build on these numbers. We enjoy bringing new people into the industry, male and female, all from different cultural backgrounds,” Andrew said.

“It’s rewarding to introduce new people to the industry and see them excel. We have what we call a ‘Buddy System’ where experienced team members mentor newcomers to bring them up to speed and teach them the way we need things done. A key element in our planning includes ensuring the right people are provided with the right tooling and equipment; enabling them to do the job right.”

Boom Logistics works with key suppliers on its larger projects.

“I’ve known Danny Bryant of Southern Wind for many years, and Danny assists us with top-up and key experience, and recently Shaun O’Neill of O’Neillz Electrical has supported us with additional electrical personnel where required. Boom Logistics will always maintain the management of overall scope on these large projects and we bring in credible suppliers and contractors who work within our frame of management and our systems.

“Its’ important we engage and respect our suppliers and contractors as our own, and this ensures we work as a team and have the best experience on hand to delivery the project.”

The right technology

The dynamic nature of the wind farm sector means investing in the right technology for current and future projects. Andrew explains how Boom Logistics stays ahead of the game.

“To ensure we are across this constantly changing and developing sector, there are ongoing conversations between myself, Nick Morris, our Chief Executive Officer Ben Pieyre and our various teams to ensure we have the right tooling for physical construction of the towers and the right cranage and support vehicles for the physical lifting.

“These conversations happen regularly and consistently as the next tower is constructed or the next tender released. We’re examining hub heights, weights of components, terrain and overall layout of the wind farm. You might have enough lifting capacity but if you’re not tall enough, you’re not going to get the components to where they need to go. We are focused on future-proofing our wind farm capabilities by having the right mix of equipment, people and expertise in the business to be in the market for the long term,” said Andrew.

Speaking further, Nick Morris notes, the wind market is very tough and can be unpredictable.

“While the right equipment will always assist; so much of our sell is on capability and competency, and above all trust,” he said.

While Boom’s first wind farm as a top tier contractor was in 2010, the market experienced sudden growth with live projects from 2016, the catalyst, in Nick’s view, of the current market demand.

“In 2016 we tendered against three other companies; none of which operate any longer in the Australian crane and installation market,” Nick said. “The industry is tough, and like all good contractors, we have had our share of challenging jobs on our journey but Boom is still here and building, strength to strength.” 

“For Boom, this is aided by our strong balance sheet, educated contracting and leadership from the top.” 

Boom’s first LG1750 was secured in 2018, with a third purchased in 2024. Nick said Boom is committed to investment into the construction business of the company, evidenced by the investment in a third LG1750 in 2024.

For Boom, the future in wind lies not only in construction, but in supporting the emerging wind turbine generator service and maintenance market.

“Our skills, personnel and equipment are transferable into this market, and supported by our expertise and accreditations, Boom will be lifting wind turbines up and down for many years to come,” notes Andrew.

This article originally appeared on Cranes and Lifting on May 30th, 2025. It is republished here with permission. You can view the original article here.