Denmark-headquartered Scan Global Logistics (SGL) has coordinated the erection and installation of 32 wind turbines at the 160 MW Balaoi and Caunayan wind farm in the North Luzon region of the Philippines.
SGL said the Balaoi and Caunayan project is the largest wind farm in the Philippines to date and it was responsible for full project management activities, hiring sub-contractors to complete the erection and installation of the 32 turbines, while its legal team ensured all contractual agreements were in place to mitigate risks.
The geography of North Luzon was a particular challenge. As the construction site was spread across several mountain ridges and many site roads featuring inclines of up to 20 percent, installing the 32 wind turbines demanded technical expertise. Two 138 m-tall crawler cranes were transported across the site to construct the turbines, readily being assembled and disassembled.
Moreover, the works took place during the typhoon season which meant site conditions were challenging and the project approach was continuously adapted to continue construction whenever a weather window was available. To mitigate delays, when the weather would permit, the turbines were erected at night.
Adding to the project’s complexity, frequent earthquakes and landslides caused by heavy rains and unstable roads caused a delay of several months. This pushed the project schedule into the typhoon and high-wind season, causing even further delays.
SGL said that its project management team is already involved with another project: managing and completing the erection/installation of a 70 MW wind farm project in the Ilocos Norte province of the Philippines. Construction began in July 2023, and 10 of 14 turbines have been installed.
