June 3 - Mammoet Wind has worked together with Octra and Coordinadora to complete the offloading and transport of four wind turbine components - one nacelle and three tower sections - for the Osterild wind turbine test field in Denmark.
The transport was an unusual one, as the T1 base tower section was delivered to the site in a vertical position. The 29 m high tower was transported in this way because its electrical components had been pre-installed and therefore could not be moved in a horizontal position.
Coordinaora and Octra shipped all four components - which weighed over 700 tonnes in total - from the factory to the port of Hanstholm, where the ship's gear lifted the 228-tonne base tower, in its upright position, onto self-propelled modular transporters (SPMT) for oncarriage.
Mammoet explained that using SPMTs for the transport ensured the stability, integrity and safety of the upright load over uneven roads and inclinations.
The 22 km long route from port to installation site was closed by local police to ensure a safe journey, while measures were also taken to minimise traffic disruption and make sure a bridge en route could withstand the weight of the load.
The remaining two sections, T2 and T3, weighing 104 tonnes each, were transported separately in the usual horizontal position, using trucks and conventional trailers. The 420-tonne nacelles was also transported by Mammoet Wind on conventional trailers with two trucks at the front to pull and steer, and one truck at the back to push.
On arrival at the site, Mammoet Wind lifted and lowered all of the oversize components onto stools.
According to Mammoet, the 700-tonne transport consignment represents a worldwide record for wind turbine transport.
