PRESS RELEASE
Granville Harbour Wind Farm has taken delivery of its final massive wind turbine tower section, marking the end of the project’s 18-week transport program.
In what was the largest transportation program ever seen on the West Coast, a total of 372 oversize items – including tower sections, turbine blades, nacelles, hubs and drive trains – have now been successfully delivered to the remote wind farm construction site, near Zeehan.
Oversize loads were transported using custom-made truck trailers and followed an approved 193-kilometre route starting out from the project’s storage yard, near Bunnings in Burnie.
Oversize loads departed before dawn to minimise disruption to local drivers and were accompanied by experienced Heavy Vehicle Escort Drivers from the Department State Growth.
Project Director, Lyndon Frearson, said news that last deliveries had made it to site safely and without incident had provided the wind farm’s workers with a ‘yet another sense of significant achievement’.
“The transport of our oversize wind turbines has been an incredibly complex undertaking when you consider the nature of North West Coast roads and variable weather conditions,” he said.
“We are indebted to residents and local businesses who have been very patient and understanding of occasional traffic delays that occurred during our oversize transport program.
“Thanks to the collective cooperation of residents, Department State Growth, Councils and emergency services,all loads have now been delivered safely to our construction site”.
Specialist drivers for oversize transport contractor, Rex Andrews, worked a total of 17,820 hours over five months to deliver all items to site.
Transport has continued in recent weeks under current COVID-19 travel restrictions with the wind farm considered an ‘essential’ construction project by the Tasmanian State Government.
Onsite construction works are also continuing in accordance with strictphysical distancing requirements.
A total of 20 wind turbines have now been installed, with the project’s switchyard and 11-kilometre transmission line also complete. 125 specialist workers are currently on the project site.
The wind farm is also in the process of advertising for permanent ongoing technical roles – with up to 5 Tasmanian-based workers required to operate the wind farm once it is complete.
Construction works for the $280 million wind farm are expected to be complete in August this year.
