02.12.2003

Nooteboom goes MEGA

The Netherlands-based trailer manufacturer, Nooteboom, has come up with an altogether new concept for the transportation of the tower sections and nacelles of wind turbine installations of up to 3 megawatts.

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Pictured is Nooteboom's MEGA Windmill Transporter fitted on a 6-axle hydraulically steered semi low-loader and one 7-axle hydraulically steered self-steering dolly.

The MEGA Windmill Transporter consists of 2 hydraulically extendable lift-adapters that can be universally employed on various vehicle types. During transportation, the tower section or nacelle is clamped between two 50 tonne capacity lift adapters (100 tonnes in total), which together can load and unload the tower sections without the need for an external crane.

Each lift adapter is infinitely hydraulically adjustable to fit the diameter of the tower section or nacelle and can be moved in any direction by remote control. The combination length is kept to a minimum, depending by the length of the payload, which in turn is dependent on the country of operation.

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Each lift adapter is hydraulically infinitely adjustable to fit the diameter of the tower section or nacelle and can be moved in any direction by remote control.

The lift adapters are connected to the steering system of the semi-trailers and the self-steering dolly by means of a turntable, while it is possible to rotate the load in relation to the semi-trailers up to an angle of 80 degrees so that sharp bends of up to 90 degrees can be negotiated. The load can also be raised approximately 1.5 metres above ground level to allow for easy manoeuvrability over raised ground, such as the centre of a roundabout.

According to Nooteboom, wind power capacity in Europe will have grown from 15,000 megawatt today, to 60,000 megawatt by 2010. This will not only mean more windmills, but larger structures of anything up to 100 metres or more in height with heavier nacelles, longer rotor blades and larger tower components.