ERMELO – An abnormal load, a wind turbine blade, recently made its way from Richards Bay to the Ummbila Emoyeni 900MW hybrid renewable energy facility located between Morgenzon and Bethal.
The massive wind turbine blade was transported by specialised vehicles. The convoy passed through Ermelo on January 30 and overnighted at Cassim Park.
At about 07:40 on January 31, the vehicle left Ermelo on its last stretch to the facility.
The 91m-long turbine blade had to be carefully navigated through the town, a daunting task entrusted to Themba Mjila, the truck driver who had set off from Richards Bay on January 28.
See all the photos: HERE
The Ummbila Emoyeni 900MW hybrid renewable energy facility is set to become the largest of its kind in South Africa.
Seriti Green’s Ummbila Emoyeni Wind Energy Facility will take a major step forward this week when an additional nine turbines, including 27 blades and other components, will be transported from Richards Bay Port along the N2.
These will be moved starting February 3.
The convoy, managed by Vanguard, will be 335m long and will take three days to reach the facility.
Each turbine consists of 12 components, and special trucks are used to move a single turbine blade from the port to the Ummbila Emoyeni Wind Energy Facility.
Road modifications along the N2 have been implemented to ensure that the turbine blades can be transported safely.
Speaking on behalf of Vanguard, Ryan Hosking said: “Our South African team has been planning and preparing for the port handling and transportation of these wind turbines for over a year. This is a complex engineering and logistical operation, and our experience over the past 15 years in the wind energy sector has placed us in good stead to execute this project safely and efficiently.”
The initial turbines will arrive in Bethal later this week and convoys will continue until all turbine components have been delivered.
Once operational, the Ummbila Emoyeni Wind Energy Facility’s first phase is expected to offset 500 000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.
Interesting facts:
- Each individual turbine consists of 13 components to be transported, totalling 117 loads
- The convoy transporting the tower sections will be 335m long
- When the tower is erected on site it will be 130m tall, adding the blade of 91m, totals 221m
Read the complete article in Highvelder.
