Transporting Wind Turbines by Ship

One hundred and forty turbines, destined for the Greater Gabbard Wind Turbine Park off the east coast of England, are being transported in 36 shipments onboard the BBC Chartering and Logistic ship M/V BBC Konan.

What’s unique about this method of transportation is that Fluor, the EPC contractor responsible for the development of the wind park, requested that the nacelles be mounted with hubs, and the bottom tower sections be shipped with the electronics installed prior to the shipment. This meant that the tower sections could not be shipped lying down, but had to be transported upright on custom-made transport foundations that until this project was only possible when shipped by barge.

Each bottom tower section, which is on deck in an upright position, weighs 90 tons and is 25 m high. The forward position of the BBC Konan’s bridge means that the upright towers do not obstruct the crew’s view. The wind turbine blades measure 52 m in length, and the nacelles with the pre-mounted hubs are the heaviest pieces, weighing 177 tons each.

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