Squadron Energy’s Uungula Wind Farm has entered an exciting new stage of construction, with pre-installation now underway for the site’s 69 turbines.
Pre-installation started on the first turbine earlier this month and involves the use of two assist cranes to erect the lower sections of each tower.
This includes installing the base section along with three mid sections, forming the lower portion of the tower.
These sections of the turbine weigh anywhere from 76 to 82 tonnes each.
Uungula Wind Farm Project Director Sanjay Goel said reaching turbine pre-installation marks a major step forward in construction for the wind farm.
“This phase of construction represents strong momentum for Uungula Wind Farm, with teams now actively and safely assembling lower sections of each turbine tower,” Mr Goel said.
“Seeing the first sections of the tower going up brings us a step closer to delivering a project that will generate enough clean energy to power more than 200,000 homes and businesses.”
Using assist cranes during this phase provides significant benefits for onsite crews, improving safety by reducing the number of high-risk lifts performed at full height, while also boosting efficiency by enabling work to progress ahead of the main crane.
This also helps manage weather delays by increasing lifting capacity at lower heights, where the conditions are usually more manageable.
Once these four sections are in place, they form the first 83 metres of the tower. At full height, turbines at Uungula Wind Farm will reach 148 metres.
Following pre-installation for one turbine, cranes will move to the next turbine location to repeat the process.
This work will continue over the coming weeks as additional turbine components are delivered to site from the Port of Newcastle. To date, around 100 components have been delivered to site.
Larger components, such as turbine blades, will be transported at a later stage once upgrades to the Goolma Road and Mitchell Highway intersection are completed, allowing for the safe passage of oversized loads.
Uungula Wind Farm will feature 69 wind turbines and generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 220,000 homes, with the project creating 250 jobs during construction.