Noupoort Wind Farm has announced that it has successfully completed the transportation of all its turbine components.  The final load from the Port of Ngqura left to site on 4 March and the last tower sections arrived from Atlantis on 24 March 2016, marking the conclusion of the 315 abnormal loads. The Project began transportation of these massive turbine components during October 2015, completing a distance of over 200 000 km over the last five months.  “This has been a huge undertaking and we would like to thank the public for their patience and support,” said Martina Flanagan, Project Manager of Noupoort Wind Farm.
The team working on the programme amounts to a very large group of dedicated individuals, from both the turbine supplier Siemens and the transport contractors DHL and ALE.  Drivers, escorts, riggers, supervisors, fitters, auto electricians, engineers, crane drivers, flagmen and of course a health and safety officer are amongst the employees that make up this 90 strong team.
The turbine tower sections, ranging in size from 17m to 29m, were routed along the N1 via the towns of Wolseley, Worcester, Riebeeck Kasteel, Riebeeck West, Laingsburg and Beaufort West.   The 53m long wind turbine blades were routed along the N9 via Cookhouse, Cradock and Middleburg. The wind turbine nacelle and hub sections travelled on the N10 via Uitenhage, Graaff-Reinet and Middelburg.
Noupoort Wind Farm is expected to supply enough green electricity to power approximately 70 000 average South African homes and avoid roughly 300 000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year when compared to traditional fossil fuel power plants.
Noupoort Wind Farm is expected to be the first wind farm as part of Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme’s round three to complete construction in the Northern Province by mid-2016.

March 2016