A LOGISTICAL feat has been undertaken with the largest wind turbine blades ever transported in Australia making their way up the Toowoomba Range.
A trial delivery of the first of the 67.2 metre long blades to the Coopers Gap Wind Farm was successfully undertaken last Tuesday, to prepare for sustained overnight deliveries for the rest of the year.
The blades weigh 22 tonnes and moving them proved to be a logistical challenge.
AGL Project Manager Tim Knill, said several shipments of wind farm components had arrived at the Port of Brisbane and were in storage awaiting transportation.
“The movement of such large pieces of equipment requires detailed planning and we are predicting approximately 1,200 oversize movements, involving blades, hubs, tower sections and nacelles,” Mr Knill said.
“The long blades ensure more energy is captured by every wind turbine. This brings down the cost of generation, but creates a high level of complexity in managing the transportation,” Mr Knill said.
“In total, the project will see the construction of 123 wind turbines, comprising 91 x 3.63MW turbines (137m rotor diameter) and 32 x 3.83MW (130m rotor diameter) turbines.
“The wind turbines will have a tip height of 180 metres. The hub height (axis or rotation) will be 110 metres (3.6MW – 137) or 115 metres (3.8MW – 130).
“The total capacity of the wind farm will be 453MW making it the largest wind farm by MW capacity in Australia. It’s expected to be fully operational by mid-2019, with 20 ongoing jobs created on site to maintain and operate the turbines.
“It’s estimated around $56 million will be spent by the project on services provided by local businesses during the construction phase.”
Mr Knill said much of the transportation would be done at night to minimise impacts on commuters.
“However, at times we will need to have major sections of highways, including the Toowoomba Range, closed,” he said.
“Delays can be expected and we ask for patience at these times.”
Mr Knill said commuters could check the Department of Transport and Main Roads website (www.tmr.qld.gov.au) to find information about delivery routes and times.