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KAROO NEWS - In recent months, readers of the Graaff-Reinet Advertiser have been no strangers to news of the Olifantskop Pass closure, and it appears that another 10 months of frequent closures lie in wait.
The reason for these disruptions is the transportation of colossal turbine blades from Gqeberha to Middelburg.
PHOTO GALLERY: Transportation of colossal turbine blades
EDF Renewables, in collaboration with its consortium partners, is currently at the forefront of the Koruson One wind farm project, where they have been diligently moving turbine blades and various components since August.
On Tuesday 24 October, one full set of blades arrived at the wind farm, with two more sets planned for delivery every week. This is set to continue until the transport embargo starts on 15 December. Transport resumes on 15 January next year.
It's worth noting that most of the turbine components qualify as abnormal loads due to their sheer size and weight. These components are vital as they will supply 26 turbines on each of the three wind farms totaling 78 turbines across the three wind farms in the region. In total, there will be 237 massive blades, each 82,5m long, 3,8m high at the rotor end and 5m at the widest point, weighing a staggering 28 tons each.
Transport routes
Transporting the behemoth blades requires precision and meticulous planning. They are moved in a convoy, with three sets being transported at a time.
Each convoy is escorted by the local traffic department in every town they pass through. Furthermore, two escort vehicles travel ahead, with two bringing up the rear, ensuring traffic is regulated effectively around the convoy.
The blade transportation route starts at Coega Port and traverses the challenging Olifantskop Pass, with an overnight stop in Cookhouse.
The following day, the journey continues through Cradock, passes Middelburg and finally reaches the wind farm sites just outside Middelburg and Noupoort.
Other components follow a separate route on the R75, passing Motherwell and Kariega (Uitenhage), stopping at Jansenville, then heading through Graaff-Reinet and passing Middelburg on the N10 to reach their destination. The most recent shipment was successfully off-loaded at Coega Port in October.
Specially engineered transport rig
Vanguard, the company responsible for the transportation of the blades, has designed an astounding 95m long transport rig, large enough to transport the 82,5m blades. "With 78 sets arriving into Coega Port and each set containing three blades, a nacelle, a generator, a hub, and containers, over 550 individual pieces of cargo are required to be transported 500km to Noupoort," revealed Joost Heystek, project manager at Vanguard.
Critical to the success of this operation was the design of the port layout, given the volume of components arriving at the port, including 234 of the longest blades ever to be offloaded in South Africa.
The meticulous planning ensures that cargo storage allows for access and manoeuvrability, facilitating the smooth operation of two convoys per week over the next year.
Extensive engineering works were also conducted along the 500km route. Vanguard performed route surveys and swept path analysis to identify potential challenges along the route, including street furniture and telecom lines in towns, precision navigation of bridges, and the construction of new roads to accommodate the convoys.
Koruson One project
The Koruson One renewable energy project comprises three wind farms, Phezukomoya, San Kraal and Coleskop, each with an impressive 140MW of installed capacity, totalling a massive 420MW.
Developed as part of round five of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme, the project is led by a consortium spearheaded by EDF Renewables, along with local BEE partners H1 Holdings, GIBB-Crede, and a local community trust.
The transportation phase of the project is expected to last 12 months, ending in August 2024 with two sets of blades being transported every week from Coega Port.
Blades being transported over the Olifanskop Pass. It takes a whole team to maneuver the truck with the 82,5m long blade in the pass.
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