Source: Forwarder Magzine
Heavy haulage specialists Collett are the first transport company to use a Blade Lifter on a UK wind farm. Working in partnership with P. Adams Transport, Collett has been appointed to manage and transport all wind turbine components for Windy Rig wind farm located in Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland.
Windy Rig wind farm is located in Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland, and will consist of 12 Vestas V112 turbines when fully constructed. Each turbine features 55-metre-long blades and a 69-meter hub height. Employing a two-port entry strategy, the blades are discharged at the Port of Ayr and all remaining components are delivered into King George V Dock in Glasgow.
Utilising their Super Wing Carriers, Collett transport the 55-metre-long blades during night-time deliveries from the Port of Ayr to a transition point located 18km from the main wind farm site. The blades are then transferred onto the Blade Lifter operated by P. Adams for the final part of the journey.
In contrast to the Super Wing Carrier which places the blades on the deck on the trailer, the Blade Lifter mounts the blade horizontally onto the module. Using its hydraulic lifting system, the blade can be tilted to an angle of up to 60°, avoiding the need for extensive civil engineering works which is potentially expensive in both time and costs.
Additionally, the use of the Blade Lifter enabled the planning consent of the wind farm without the need for third-party land and the associated potential risks and costs.
Even so, due to the wind farms challenging site access, the use of the Blade Lifter reduced the amount of required ‘oversail’ by a combination of the tilting of the blade and the maneuverability of the self-propelled module.
The remaining components are delivered utilising Collett’s fleet of specialist trailers. The tower sections, longest measuring 30m and the heaviest weighing 55Te, are transported using specialised tower clamp trailers. The heavier components such as the Nacelle and Drive Trains weighing 64Te and 61Te respectively, using multi-axel low bed trailers.
All component deliveries are underway and are expected to be completed later this year.
