Signs of life in industry as massive turbine blades head to Biala wind farm

Like green shoots sprouting from a fire-blackened tree, pictures of Goldwind Australia wind turbine blades being transported to the Biala wind farm in New South Wales offer welcome signs of life for renewables in the current Covid-19 landscape.

The developer of the 110MW project, BJCE Australia (Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy Australia), said on Monday that turbine component deliveries would begin on Wednesday, travelling roughly 233km from Port Kembla to the site 8km east of the township of Biala in the state’s Southern Tablelands.

Local commuters can expect to see huge trucks carrying huge wind turbine parts, like the majestic blade picture above, up to 20 times a week (Monday to Saturday) for around 20 weeks. The oversize deliveries are expected to arrive in Goulburn at 5:30am, and to travel on to the wind farm’s site between 6am and 9am.

A route map can be downloaded from here, and BJCE recommends drivers using alternative routes where possible to avoid delays. “We are grateful to the community for their patience,” a statement says.

Then again, if ever there was an ideal time to transport 68.7 metre long wind turbine blades on the roads of Victoria, it could be during a global pandemic, when the majority of the population are (hopefully) taking the advice of health experts and staying home.