The Port of Blyth has reinforced its reputation as one of the key ports of entry for onshore wind farm development across northern United Kingdom with the first of 21 vessels arriving in August as part of a large contract with Deugro Danmark A/S. The 6 month contract will see 60 complete 2.3 MW Siemens wind turbines imported for the Crystal Rig Extension II Wind Farm in the Scottish Borders.
The Port has invested significantly over recent years into developing discharge facilities, investing in stronger quays, bigger cranes and better support equipment. This coupled with the vast experience in handling such specialist pieces made Blyth the ideal choice for the import of the turbines.
As Technical & Operations Director, Alan Todd commented “This project is the largest managed to date and a testament to the continued development of the Port infrastructure and skills. We are confident that we can handle many more turbine projects in the years to come.”
The turbines are imported in 10 component pieces and each turbine in total weighs in excess of 320 tonnes and stands approximately 120m from blade tip to base. This project once completed will power over 80,000 homes.
This project comes close on the heels of the Port’s recent appearance at BWEA Offshore 09 and the confirmation that the Port is committed to supporting the Round 3 Offshore Turbine developments in the next few years.
