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Mechanical Engineer
As a Mechanical Engineer in offshore wind farm energy storage, you’ll design, develop, and oversee the construction of mechanical systems like hydrogen compressors, battery cooling units, and distribution systems. In the Storage & Industrial zone, your focus will be on making sure hydrogen and battery storage units operate safely, efficiently, and can withstand offshore environmental conditions.
Key Responsibilities
Mechanical Engineers in the Storage & Industrial zone are responsible for:
• Designing mechanical systems for hydrogen and battery storage facilities.
• Overseeing the manufacturing and construction of pumps, compressors, and pipelines.
• Developing thermal management systems for large-scale batteries.
• Conducting stress testing, durability analysis, and fluid dynamics simulations.
• Ensuring mechanical designs comply with safety and environmental standards.
• Investigating system failures and troubleshooting mechanical issues.
• Working closely with structural and civil engineers during storage unit construction.
• Supporting commissioning and handover of storage facilities to operations teams.
As for what you’ll most likely be doing:
• Turn research ideas into technical plans, using computer-aided design software.
• Test mechanical systems and analyse data to make improvements.
• Assess the safety of mechanical machinery and equipment.
• Oversee maintenance programmes in buildings, power stations and production plants.
• Manage a project team of technicians, designers and other engineering professionals.
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Salary Range
Entry-Level
Experienced
Essential Skills
Knowledge of engineering science and technology
• Maths knowledge.
• Design skills and knowledge.
• The ability to work well with others.
• Analytical thinking skills.
• To be thorough and pay attention to detail.
• Knowledge of physics.
• The ability to come up with new ways of doing things.
• To be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently.
Training Providers in the UK
Qualifications and Training
To become a Mechanical Engineer, especially in sectors like offshore wind farms and energy storage, you’ll need strong academic qualifications, with a focus on maths, science, and technical skills.
GCSEs:
At least 5 GCSEs at grade 4/C or above, including:
• Mathematics (essential — many courses expect at least a grade 6/B).
• English Language.
• Physics or Combined Science.
A Levels:
A Levels in subjects such as:
• Mathematics (essential).
• Physics (strongly preferred).
• Further Mathematics, Chemistry, or Design Technology (helpful for building wider
technical knowledge)
When it comes to becoming a Mechanical Engineer in the renewable energy industry, you’ll usually need an accredited degree in mechanical engineering or a closely related field such as energy engineering or mechatronic engineering.
Entry requirements to get into university include:
• 3 A Levels at grades ABB to AAB, usually including Mathematics and Physics.
As for the degree, you could take a course in subjects such as:
• Mechanical Engineering – This course teaches you how mechanical systems are designed, built, and maintained. In the Storage & Industrial Zone, this translates into creating the turbines, compressors, and cooling systems for hydrogen storage, as well as mechanical handling systems for battery units. You’ll study thermodynamics, materials science, fluid mechanics, systems design, and control engineering. You could study Mechanical Engineering at Swansea University. This degree teaches you how to design, build, and improve machines, engines, and energy systems, like the ones used in offshore wind farms, hydrogen storage tanks, and battery facilities. You’ll learn about how materials behave under stress, how energy moves through systems, and how to design technology that is safe, strong, and efficient. They typically require you to have at least an AAB at A Level, including Mathematics.
• Energy Engineering – This course focuses on producing and managing sustainable energy systems, such as hydrogen and battery storage integration with offshore wind. It covers ThermoFluid's energy conversion systems, electrical engineering, and sustainable design. You could study Energy Engineering at Loughborough University.
This degree focuses on how we create, store, and use energy, from renewable sources like offshore wind farms to new storage systems like hydrogen tanks and big batteries.
You’ll learn how different types of energy technology work, how to design energy systems that are cleaner and more efficient, and how to solve real-world problems around energy supply and sustainability. It’s a great course if you want to work on making offshore wind and energy storage even better for the future. Loughborough typically requires you to have an AAB at A Level, including Mathematics and usually a science subject like Physics.
These degrees will prepare you for engineering roles where you’ll design and manage the mechanical aspects of offshore storage systems, ensuring the reliability and safety of battery and hydrogen facilities linked to offshore wind farms.
However, some employers may prefer or even require you to have a master’s or postgraduate qualification. Pursuing a master's degree, such as an MSc in Sustainable Mechanical Engineering, can deepen your expertise in energy systems, advanced mechanical design, and
offshore renewable technologies.
• If you want to keep studying after your first degree, you could do a master's course like Sustainable Engineering: Offshore Renewable Energy at the University of Strathclyde.
This course teaches you how to design and build offshore energy systems, like floating wind farms, hydrogen storage tanks, and big battery facilities out at sea. You’ll learn how waves, wind, and the sea affect these structures, how to make them strong and
safe, and how to think about the environment when designing them. To get on this course, you would usually need to have finished a degree with a 2:1 or higher in something like Mechanical Engineering, Energy Engineering, or a similar subject.
Having a postgraduate qualification can open opportunities to work on large-scale offshore wind storage hubs, lead engineering teams, and move into specialist consultancy or technical director roles faster.
You can also become a Mechanical Engineer without going to university full-time by doing an apprenticeship. Apprenticeships are a great option if you want to earn money while learning on the job. You'll get real-world experience in engineering projects and study part-time to gain your qualifications.
There are different types of apprenticeships you could do:
• Electro-mechanical engineer (level 6) - As an Electro-Mechanical Engineer, you’ll design and maintain systems that combine mechanical and electrical parts. You might work on offshore wind turbines, hydrogen storage, or battery energy storage. During the apprenticeship, you’ll learn about mechanical design, electrical circuits, fluid mechanics, and systems engineering
• The Engineering Technician Apprenticeship (Level 3) - As an Engineering Technician, you’ll help design, build, or maintain machines and systems, possibly working on projects like offshore wind turbines or energy storage. During the apprenticeship, you’ll learn technical skills like drawing, problem-solving, and working with mechanical and electrical systems.
Apprenticeships offer an excellent chance to enter high-demand sectors like offshore renewables, gaining real-world project experience on energy storage and wind-to-hydrogen infrastructure.
Employment Opportunities in the UK