July 16, 2013
South Africa

Turbine components transportation hazard

Business Reporter | The Herald | 16 July 2013 | www.peherald.com

Massive components for another wind farm in the Eastern Cape will be transported from the Port of Ngqura next week.

For the past two weeks components for nine wind turbines for the Metrowind Van Stadens wind farm have been transported from the Coega port to the site near Blue Horizon Bay some kilometres west of Port Elizabeth.

And from Monday, components for another wind farm will be transported further along the N2 to a wind farm between Jeffreys Bay and Humansdorp.

The wind farm is not affiliated to the Metrowind one at Van Stadens.

Jeffreys Bay wind farm manager Mark Pickering said various components would be transported in trucks with huge trailers along two different routes from the Port of Ngqura to the site.

Commuters travelling along the N2 between Port Elizabeth and Jeffreys Bay may be affected by the oversized loads, which are scheduled to leave the port between 6am and noon. A second route will be used to transport components through Motherwell, along the R334, past Despatch and Uitenhage, joining the N2 at the Blue Horizon Bay turnoff and then on to Jeffreys Bay and Humansdorp.

All loads will travel to the Jeffreys Bay wind farm as single consignments – except through Port Elizabeth, where there will be a police escort for the larger components.

“Due to the length of the transportation vehicles, we urge road users not to overtake, unless in a passing lane or dual carriageway,” Pickering said.

The construction team has already made modifications to the N2 highway near Humansdorp to accommodate the large turning radius of the abnormal loads.

Regular deliveries will be made, Mondays to Fridays throughout the day, until January next year.

An estimated total of 67% of South Africa’s wind farms will be based in the Eastern Cape, to the value of about R18.1-billion.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/07/16/turbine-components-transportation-hazard/