Replacement turbine blades arrive at one of Australia’s oldest wind farms

Hydro Tasmania has announced the successful delivery of replacement turbine blades to the Huxley Hill wind farm on King Island.

One of Australia’s oldest continuously working wind farms, Huxley Hill was built in 1998 and is a vital part of King Island’s off-grid hybrid energy system, which also includes a 5,000-panel solar system and a 3MW/1.5MWh lead-acid battery backup.

Hydro Tasmania announced in late-2024 that it was spending $11.5 million to repower and refurbish the wind farm, which would tackle everything from the foundations and towers to adding restored nacelles and restoring the original turbine blades.

The refurbishment, which also includes a new battery, is aiming to reuse as many parts as possible, serving as “an important example of how to effectively maintain and refurbish aging wind farms to reduce waste and cost,” according to Jesse Clark, executive general manager of assets and infrastructure at Hydro Tasmania.

While the refurbishment started back in September of 2024 and is only expected to finish in 2027, the wind farm was nevertheless back up and running early last year, even as other refurbishing tasks continue.

Adding to the workload, however, was the need to replace the blades on a wind turbine what sustained damage during an unspecified extreme wind event.

Working in partnership with TasPorts’ Bass Island Line crew, three new 25-metre-long blades were shipped from Devonport to King Island onboard the John Duigan. The blades were then delivered by truck to the damaged wind turbine.

“The logistics behind transporting blades of this size requires careful planning, coordination and collaboration,” said Kristian Payne, project manager for Entura, Hydro Tasmania’s consulting arm, which is delivering the project and overseeing the repair of the wind turbine.

“From loading the blades in Devonport to safely delivering them to King Island, this has been a complex operation, and we thank TasPorts and Total Freight Solutions for their expertise and support.”  

 According to Hydro Tasmania, the next will see repairs undertaken on the tower and concrete foundation before the nacelle is replaced and turbine blades installed. The wind turbine is expected to be once again operational by the end of the year.

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