With the increasing emphasis in New Zealand on renewable energy sources, Tranzcarr Heavy Haulage Ltd has invested in specialised equipment to handle the demands of hauling the large loads that make up the wind towers.

Sites in New Zealand are very inaccessible and in remote corners of the country. Tranzcarr had found the need to have purpose built heavy prime movers to assist the loads up and over grades of up to 20'. In addition Tranzcarr had built two steerable trailers for blades capable of hauling up to 45 metre long blades. These units can be towed along the highway and then for tight cornering and site work have the capability of being manually steered from the rear.

Future development will see Tranzcarr invest in specialised self loading and unloading for the Nacelle (Turbine) units with weights up to 85 tonne.

Meridian Energy Westwind Wind Farm at Makara west of Wellington

62 x Siemens units

62 Nacelles weighing 86 tonne each – all Nacelles were offloaded at site with Tranzcarr 100 tonne jacking plant.

124 Tower sections up to 72 tonne each

186 Blade sections at 40m long

62 Hubs at 28 tonne

62 Power units at 8 tonne each

62 FCL containers

All loads were offloaded from Shipside and transported at the port of Picton, then loaded onto barges for shipping to Oteranga Bay on the South Coast below the project site. They were then reloaded by special gantry lift onto trailers for delivery to pad locations. Gradients of 21% on site.

The Project also involved 2 x 94 tonne transformers moved by road from Port of Wellington through Wellington City to the site via Makara.

Tranzcarr Heavy Haulage Meridian Te Apiti Wind Farm Project Jan - Sept 2004

55 Windmills total made up components as follows:

55 Inground bases = 22.5 loads each base 4.5m dia 11 ton each. 27 ton of reinforcing and 373 cube of concrete to hold them in the ground.

Out of ground: 55 Bottom sections = 55 loads 4.5m dia 17 meters long. 3 days to weld inside and out bottom section to base.

55 Mid sections = 55 loads 4.2m dia 19 meters long Bolted together 55 top sections = 55 loads 3.1m dia 31 meters long. Bolted together.

All loads averaged a combined weight inclusive of transporter of 110 ton approx. Empty transporter average weight 60 - 70 ton.

55 Nacells (turbines) = 55 loads 3.1m wide 50.4 ton each.

Once the towers started moving to site they where in uniform Bottom / Mid / Top and turbine. These had to be erected all on the same day with the turbine placed on top for stability.

55 Hubs = 55 loads 3.1m dia 21 ton each.

165 Blades = 82.5 loads each blade 6 ton and 35 meters long carried off set vice / versa with a total length of just on 50 meters including transporter.

Dependant on the time of departure and item travel times were between 3.5 - 6 hours per trip. All Tower and Turbine loads were towed up the Saddle Rd from the bottom to each site.

White Hill Wind Farm, Mossburn Southland

Scope of Project included receiving the loads from ‘Ships Hook’, movement to holding area and Road transport from Port of Bluff to White Hill site.

29 x Turbines (Vestas V80 model).

29 x Nacelle units, each weighing 72 tonnes

87 x 40m length Blades

87 x Tower Sections up to 32m long

1 x 65 tonne transformer

Various supplementary loads of support equipment.

Tararua Wind Farm, Manawatu
From Port of New Plymouth

Scope of Project included receiving the loads from ‘Ships Hook’, movement to holding area and Road transport from Port to Tararua Site.
 
31 x Vestas V90 Turbines

31  x Nacelle units each 74 tonne

93  x  Blade units each 45m length

93  x Tower sections up to 36m long

From Port of Auckland

Two 80 tonne Transformers

Various Ancillary loads