The first wind turbine for the country’s first farm to come online went up on Friday at the Metrowind Van Stadens wind farm, near Port Elizabeth.
A further eight – each one an engineering feat – are set to be assembled over the course of the next two months.
S01, a Sinovel SL3000 three megawatt (MW) turbine, was completed this week, after two weeks of high-intensity assembly. The Metrowind Van Stadens wind farm is boasting a series of firsts for both South Africa and the engineering and construction firms associated with the project.
Evan Jones, engineering manager for energy at Basil Read Matomo – the lead engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor – said there were many “exciting first-ever experiences” for the project team.
“For us the use of the largest crane ever used in South Africa has simply been incredible; we have never before seen a crane of this capacity,” said Jones. “The Terex TC 2800 has a lifting capacity of 800 tons, and is the only crane able to simultaneously reach the height of the wind towers and carry the weight of the nacelles, hubs and blades.”
The crane was imported from Poland earlier this year to facilitate the lifting of the 120 ton nacelle. It took 56 trucks to transport the crane to site, where a normal 650 ton crane requires only 20 trucks. Moving it from one turbine site to another also takes days, said Jones.
A wind turbine comprises four main parts: the tower, nacelle, hub and blades. The nacelle is a weather cover housing all of the generating components in a wind turbine, including the generator, gearbox, drive train, and brake assembly.
Jones said while the assembly of the wind tower is not that complicated the logistics, planning, engineering and timing required to put the “giant puzzle pieces together” was the challenge. “All tower lifts are a tandem lift and require two cranes. We use special grease and health and safety standards are followed to the tee. Basically we lower the one section on to the other, and this process is followed by bolt torqueing – done with specialised calibrated equipment at high pressure.”
Following the tower construction is the assembly of the more complicated nacelle and hub section. The hub and blades are collectively known as the rotor.
“The planning and execution of the rotor lift has to be precise to ensure the 70 ton rotor, which is also 113 meters in diameter, is lifted properly. The higher you go, the windier it gets so this is really a critical exercise.
“The first nacelle lift had everyone on their toes – and the focus and complexity increases with each lift as you go up,” said Jones of the first completed turbine on the Metrowind project.
According to Basil Read Matomo, South Africa is in a unique position to leap frog technologically with the national wind farm projects and construct 3MW wind turbines, rather than the older 1.5MW turbines.
“Not only are we able to use the most advanced wind turbine technology, but we are also engaging the experts worldwide, with consultants from Spain, Italy and China working with us here at Van Stadens to ensure the installation is efficient and safe.”
Four consultants from Spain and Italy are present on site and bring with them the significant experience of establishing a number of wind farms in Europe. The four Chinese representatives are from Sinovel, the turbine manufacturing company.
Currently seven of the nine turbines at Metrowind are 50% assembled with a further two set to start from the base up.
“Everything has been going well. Basil Read Matomo’s executive has spared no expense to enable the core team to visit a completed installation in Sweden and a wind farm under construction in Italy where identical turbines have been installed. This was very valuable for the whole team in preparation for the turbine transportation and assembly. We met the consultants now in South Africa in Italy. They collectively have in excess of 50 years hands-on wind industry experience between them which has ensured we have the knowledge and confidence to bring this project to life. It has also been a huge learning curve for all involved especially around cross-cultural communication, making sure everyone understands key issues. ”
To date there have been few challenges on the project, Jones said, with weather proving paradoxically to be one of the greater trials. “Wind, ironically, is one of the elements we struggle most with as we have to wait for good conditions to perform the lifts and assembly. Obviously the sites are chosen because they have good wind so we have to weather watch daily. But after a year and a half of planning it’s incredible to see these imposing but elegant structures come together.”
The Metrowind Van Stadens wind farm will be the first active wind farm to come online as one of eight Wind Energy Independent Power Producers (IPPs) authorised in the first round of the Department of Energy’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) in December 2011.
The 27 megawatt (MW) Metrowind Van Stadens wind farm will comprise of nine Sinovel SL3000 3MW turbines and is expected to produce 80 000MWh per year, with installation to be complete by October followed by commissioning. Basil Read Matomo was awarded the R475-million contract late last year.
Alan Straton
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