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Challenges of Wind Power – Projects in Demanding Arctic Conditions
a report by
Matias Setälä
Director, Silvasti Logistics
Uljabuouda Wind Park is the first major windfarm to be built in the 12-axle modular trailer, the total weight of the combination being 200
mountains of Sweden. Low temperatures and ice are known to hamper tonnes and measuring 30m long x 4.5m wide x 6.0m tall.
production and cause other problems in such locations. The first part
of this project included delivery of four 3MW wind turbines. This As in Finland, northern Sweden and Estonia it is possible to drive with
project will continue with the delivery of six more turbines in 2010. relatively high loads, the use of semi-low loaders is always an option for
Finnish heavy haulage and project forwarding company Silvasti transporting wind turbine nacelles in these areas. Also, relatively high
Logistics was chosen as the logistics service provider for phase one of axle loads are allowed in Finland and northern Sweden, so transporting
the Uljabuouda project. One of the main reasons for Silvasti’s the nacelles by road was the preferred method. Another option that
nomination for the job was the company’s expertise in working in was planned in the early stages was the use of barges with tug-boats
northern conditions. The transport contract involved transport of the to minimise the need for road transport.
nacelles, hubs and blades from the place of manufacture to the site at
Uljabuouda. Cargo details were as follows: One very important part of the preparations was applying for permits
in co-operation with Vägverket, the Swedish road authority. Route
four nacelles, each 14m long x 4.4m wide x 4.7m tall and weighing surveys and detailed transport drawings were necessary to obtain the
127 tonnes; permits; these were provided by Silvasti’s project engineers in good
four hubs, each 4.7m long x 4.7m wide x 4.05m tall and weighing time prior to the execution of the project. In this way smooth
27 tonnes; and co-operation with the authorities was ensured.
12 blades, each 49.5m long x 4m wide x 2.7m tall and weighing
12.2 tonnes. Nacelle Transport
After careful planning, Silvasti’s project crew decided that transport of
the first part of the nacelles would take place by barge, due to the factChallenges
The location of the site was on top of the Uljabuouda mountain in the that it was not possible to drive all the way with such high axle weights
Arctic, approximately 900m above sea level. From the transport point and heights. The workshop that manufactured the nacelles was located
of view, the most challenging part was the final hill climb to the top. in Loviisa in southern Finland, and just a few hundred metres from the
During the final 5km, the road rose 330m; the steepest section had a workshop there was a harbour suitable for loading operations onto a
14% incline, which, combined with a nacelle weight of 127 tonnes, barge. The optimal solution was then to move the nacelles by barge
posed a huge challenge for the transport equipment. and ship to the port of Skellefteå in northern Sweden. This required
very careful preparation, in particular plans to secure the cargo onto
Weather conditions were another of the main issues to be considered. the barge in a seaworthy manner.
The project was planned to start at the end of July and to be finished
before the first snow, which would block the traffic, so there was no Loading onto the barge took place using Silvasti’s modular axle lines,
possibility for any delays in the delivery schedule. so that the cargo was loaded and unloaded using the trailer’s own
hydraulics. In this way it was not necessary to use cranes for loading,
The site itself was very narrow and was located in the middle of the which had a positive effect from the cost point of view. After the
conservation area. Therefore, the space for operating the equipment nacelles were loaded on-board, they were secured by weldings and
was strictly limited to the site roads and narrow site areas. There was no chains according to the cargo-securing manual that had been created
possibility of storing the cargo onsite due to the limited space available; in advance. When the securing operation was finished and checked by
therefore, a just-in-time delivery schedule was planned in co-operation a surveyor, tug-boats started to tow the barge towards Skellefteå. The
with the site manager in charge of the assembly of the turbines. sea voyage was completed in five days, which was well inside the time-
frame scheduled for this stage.
The first step in the project was to carry out careful road studies and site
surveys in order to find out the optimal transport routes and methods. In Skellefteå, Silvasti’s crew and heavy-duty equipment was ready to
Alongside normal route surveys, the project crew visited the site area unsecure the cargo and move it to the storage area within the port
several times to plan and consult the site roads before the first transport. to wait for final delivery to the site. The distance from the port to the
Each curve at the site road was carefully measured to ensure that the site was 300km, and one day was scheduled for moving the nacelle
trucks could access the final delivery place. The site road was constructed to the site. The deliveries were made on a just-in-time basis, as
especially for this project and Silvasti’s experts gave exact specifications requested by the company assembling the turbines. As the total
for massive axle loads and transport dimensions. For example, the nacelle height of the transport was approximately 6.0m, there were some
needed to be transported with a combination of a four-axle truck and a phone wires to be lifted and electricity blackouts en route; these
© TOUCH BRIEFINGS 2010
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