Handling options for windfarm components

The wind farm components are manufactured in Denmark and transported to the port on ships where they are unloaded to be stored until they are ready to be erected. Heavy lift company Weldex introduced the Hyster reachstackers to handle the wind farm tower sections and the hubs for the turbines. Previously the company had used a combination of crawler cranes and multi-axle trailers.

“At Mostyn we have pioneered a new method of handling these heavy loads” explains Eddie Campbell of Weldex. Supplied by Barloworld, two customised Hyster RS 46-41L CH reachstackers operate in unison, lifting the 100 tonne tower sections from either end. A special attachment is fitted to the reachstacker booms allowing the wind turbine tower sections to be transported from the quayside to storage, leading to faster and more efficient operations.

“We have significantly reduced our capital expenditure on lifting equipment at Mostyn and fewer people are required in the lifting process” explained Mr Campbell. “The reachstackers have also helped improve the safety of the operation even further and the handling is now much faster,” he adds.