Finishing touches in the wind
The transmission line that will connect Mercury’s Turiteawind farm above Palmerston North to the national grid is in line for completion by Christmas.
In recent months a fleet of helicopters, including a giant Ka¯hu Blackhawk, has been ferrying components for the 38 transmission towers and poles up the Tararua Range.
The completion of the 12-kilometre transmission line by Electrix and contractors would be a key milestone in the $450 million project, said Mercury project director Dennis Radich.
‘‘This infrastructure supports both the 60-turbine Turiteawind farm and the future development on the Puketoi Range to the east, wheremercury has consents to construct a 53-turbine wind farm.’’
At the peak of activity on the transmission line, 90 workers were onsite and up the poles, including Electrix linesmen, Hamilton-based foundation crew and Manawatu¯ contractors.
The most sensitive part of the project was erecting the six towers that stand in the Turitea Reserve, the city’s water catchment area.
To avoid having to cut access tracks through the vegetation, helicopters flew in the components and equipment for the foundation and for assembly of the towers.
Four types of helicopters were used, including the Ka¯hu Blackhawk, which can lift 3.6 tonnes.
On the ground, Electrix brought in a JCB 4WD off-road capable concrete truck, believed to be the only one of its kind in New Zealand.
The truck is articulated to be easilymanoeuvred and is capable of handling steep slopes, allowing concrete to be delivered to remote sites.
Radich said a lot of planning had gone into the logistics and delivery of the transmission line project.
Before Christmas, the cables would be roped through, ready to start conducting once the northern group of 33 turbines started generating in the middle of next year.
Groundwork and environmental protection works and excavations had begun on the southern group of turbines, due for completion by the end of next year.
The finishing touches to that part of the project would be connections at two new substations to be built at the northern and southern ends of the site after the Christmas break.
Meantime, back in the urban area, Vestas turbine blades, hubs and nacelles are being stored at Rangitı¯kei St and Keith St, while a plan for getting the 55-metre blades up the hill is developed.
A new road partially built to bypass the S-bends on the Pahı¯atua Track had slipped and failed.
Radich said therewas little hope it could be stabilised enough to work, and the land would be reinstated and restored.
Vestas was working on various negotiations to find an alternative route for the blades, whichwere needed onsite at the wind farm by early February.