Turbine truck flips on SH45
A truck transporting the first giant turbine blade destined for use on a South Taranaki wind farm tipped on its side along
State Highway 45 yesterday.
The 64 metre-long blade was one of two supposed to be taken from Port Taranaki in the early hours of the morning heading for the $227 million
Waipipi Wind Farm being developed near Waverley by Tilt Renewables.
While police were alerted to the incident, near the intersection of SH45 and
Hampton Rd, just before 8am, Okato residents claimed it happened between 6am and 6.30am.
A police media spokeswoman said contractors were called in to lift the truck, and the highway was reduced to one lane while this occurred.
Powerco also cut the electricity supply to 33 customers in the area so the truck and its cargo could be safely removed from underneath the powerlines. Power was restored by mid afternoon.
Tilt Renewables executive general manager renewable developments Clayton Delarter said the driver was shaken but had escaped uninjured.
Delarter confirmed it was the first of 93 blades and a large number of other components that would be transported to the site.
‘‘It appears for whatever reason the truck has slid a little.
‘‘I can’t say too much until we get a more detailed picture of what has happened.’’
Delarter said there didn’t appear to be any significant damage to the fibreglass blade, which was loaded on to a second trailer and taken to the site where further tests would be carried out.
An investigation would be carried out to determine what had caused the truck to tip and remove any risk of it happening again, he said. ‘‘It’s not going to change the fundamental traffic route that we take.’’
Bruce Sim said he heard a ‘‘bloody loud’’ noise and, when he went to investigate, discovered the truck on its side on the highway.
Bruce King said he passed the overturned truck on his way to New Plymouth about 6.30am.
‘‘It was still dark and you couldn’t really see much,’’ King said.
A spokesman for the company transporting the blades, PTS Logistics Ltd, said he could not comment and directed all inquiries to Tilt Renewables.
The New Zealand Transport Agency previously warned motorists to expect delays as wind farm components were transported to the site on a daily basis through to October.