How to Transport Wind Turbine Equipment?

Trucks hauling lengthy wind turbine blades resemble ants carrying leaves, which is a remarkable sight in the transport industry. In the current era of low-carbon environmental protection,

Wind energy, as a clean and renewable source, has gained global popularity. However, transporting wind turbine equipment, especially through combined land and sea routes, poses significant challenges.

Nevertheless, no matter how tough transportation is, there are solutions to it. In this episode, we will share YQN’s exclusive “secret key” to transporting special and bulk cargo.

Know About Wind Turbine Equipment

The story revolves around 16 sets of wind turbine equipment transported from China to Southeast Asia. Each set consists of three main components:

1. The mainframe and hub

Possess cutting-edge technology and high value

2. The wind turbine blades, 77 meters long

Each set is equipped with three blades and is undetachable

3. The tower to support the whole equipment

A tower is divided into five sections, each section weights from 47 tons for the highest section, to 97 tons for the lowest section, making them super-wide and overweight items.

Enter the Port

Before heading to the port, land transport should be ready.

1. Communicate with local road authorities to obtain permits for oversized transportation.

2. Plan the escorting work, including the field investigation on utility poles, streetlights, signs, and so on. They are public facilities often unnoticed in daily life but may influence the trailer's transport route.

3. Hydraulic axle flatbed trailers are used to transport overweight cargo.

To minimize the impact on public traffic, we choose to transport between 1 am and 5 am, with the trailing escort before and after to ensure a smooth journey.

Preparation Before Loading onto the Ship

To save logistics costs for the customer, sea transport is divided into two batches. YQN deploys two multipurpose heavy-lift vessels with a combined lifting capacity of 700 tons. The vessels are also accompanied by a professional team to guarantee the project's success.

Before entering the port, we should first communicate the loading plan with the terminal. According to the equipment loading sequence, shipping schedules, port location, and transport complexity, we need to arrange for the stacking positions to ensure the turning radius for blade transportation is met and easy access for loading onto the ship. Precision is required for both loading and unloading.

Loading onto the Ship

During the loading, wooden beams, steel beams or custom-made frames are used as cushions to increase the contact area for better stability.

Among the three main components, the mainframe and hub are of the highest value, thus enjoying VIP treatment with an adjustable deck cabin to safeguard them during the sea voyage.

Although the tower is overweight, its shape is regular. So it could be placed secondly.

Finally, the wind turbine blade should be the last to board and the first to disembark due to its extra-long size.

Reinforcement

The final act is to secure the equipment. During the voyage, lateral movements due to waves can jeopardize ship stability. So we arrange for a professional lashing team to reinforce equipment onboard. And we adopt custom flanges to place blades and towers neatly. All is for shipping safety.

When everything is packed and ready, we set off to Southeast Asia. Upon arrival at the destination port, the challenging task of unloading and transportation starts again.

Just leave these tasks to YQN no matter how intricate they are. Log in YQN platform online to track and trace your cargo in real-time.

About YQN Project Team

This transportation is supported by the YQN Project Team, which specializes in project cargo transportation, covering OOG (Out of Gauge), Ro-Ro (Roll-on/Roll-off), breakbulk chartering, and various other fields of project logistics transportation. With years of experience in the engineering logistics industry and a mature management team, we provide customers with a variety of engineering project logistics solutions and the highest quality of service.

YQN Operation Team

info@yqnlink.com