In Lorup, Germany, wind energy company Enercon is currently replacing 16 older wind energy turbines with ten modern E-175 EP5 turbines. As part of the project it is transporting 30 rotor blades to the construction site. Each blade measures almost 86 metres long – making them among the longest onshore rotor blades in the world.
Enercon has delivered the first of these blades using one of its Scheuerle Rotor Blade Transport Systems (RBTS). Prior to the project Enercon Logistic purchased three of these systems.
The RBTS comprises a towing vehicle with a three- or four-axle semi-trailer, an adapter for the rotor blade mounting and a trailing unit with its own steering system. The modular design allows flexible adaptation to accommodate different rotor blade types and transport requirements. The system provides a high lifting height and flexible steering control of the trailing unit is possible.
The turbine blades are being loaded at the Jade-Weser port facility in Wilhelmshaven. It took two nights for the first 99.5-metre-long heavy load combinations to cover the route to the wind park – which is a distance of around 160km.
The route is challenging. With the first deliveries the trailing unit had to be lifted at a very wide angle in order to clear motorway guard rails and barriers. A roundabout needed to be dismantled and covered. The tractor unit and lifting adapter had to go through an underpass while the trailer was still manoeuvring on a roundabout. And on arrival at the wind park the RBTS had to reverse 800 metres along a narrow farm track.
Tackling the last 800 metres in reverse
These challenges were all successfully overcome. This, says Scheuerle, is testament to the strengths of the system. “With the RBTS we have a reliable and well-thought-out solution that gives our drivers flexibility while simultaneously protecting the sensitive rotor blades,” said Tino Hülsmeyer, truck fleet manager at Enercon Logistic.”
“The enormous lifting height of the RBTS was crucial for this operation,” added Markus Pflederer, sales manager at Tii Scheuerle. “Such situations are really no problem for our system.”
