Wind turbine blade manufacturer LM Wind Power entrusted the first journey by road of its 88.4 metre blade, said by the company to be the longest ever, to Mammoet Wind.
The Netherlands-based company created the LM 88.4 P to fit on an 8 megawatt wind turbine designed to withstand 25 years of life offshore in the harshest weather conditions and the roughest seas, the company said. One set of three 88.4 m blades is mounted on turbines capable of powering around 10,000 homes.
Mammoet took the blade on a 218 kilometre journey starting at 21.45 hours on 30 June from LM’s factory in Lunderskov, Denmark, and finishing at 03.30 the next morning at Aalborg where it will undergo further testing.
Close to a year was spent planning this transport project. Koos van der Zee, LM Wind Power blade transportation senior manager, said, “The whole experience was amazing – hundreds of people lining the streets and bridges to watch the world’s longest blade pass. The entire trip went smoothly, without any problems, thanks to incredible teamwork between all the companies involved, including our colleagues at LM Wind Power, the police and the highway agency.”
The entire route was carefully mapped out in advance and specialists were ready to temporarily dismantle guardrails and sign posts where necessary. The full cargo was
just under 100 m long, with a loaded height of 4.47 m at its highest point – allowing for only 30 mm of extra space when passing under bridges.
Transporting the world’s longest wind turbine blade was a proud moment for employees and the local community in Lunderskov. Entire families came to the factory to watch and wave flags, the company said.
LM produced its first wind turbine blades in the 1970s when they were less than 10 m long.