Project Challenges
The turbines were far larger than the region’s first generation next door, so oversized components had to move at night through the sizeable town of Goulburn, in winter conditions that were often wet, frosty and thick with fog.
Bigger than ever
Crookwell 2 sits beside Crookwell Wind Farm, the first operational wind farm in NSW, commissioned in 1998. The new turbines dwarf the old, at more than double the height (95m vs 45m), blades triple the size (64m vs 20m) and a nacelle five times as heavy (100T vs 20T), which makes every component harder to move.
Night moves through Goulburn
Due to their size, many of the oversized components had to be transported at night, including through the sizeable town of Goulburn in the early hours. Police escorts managed traffic at intersections and pilot cars sat ahead of and behind the loads to warn local traffic.
Winter fog
Transport ran mainly through the winter months, well known to be wet, windy, frosty and foggy, especially early in the morning. Drivers often arrived to heavy fog and had to move at crawling pace, or park up until conditions improved.
Reading the route
The Port Kembla run was straightforward but for a few tricky corners through Goulburn before the two site entrances.
