Vattenfall’s Pen y Cymoedd Wind Energy Project is ready to start receiving turbine deliveries following the completion of more than 80km of site access tracks.
Joint venture partners Jones Bros and Balfour Beatty, which are delivering balance of plant and infrastructure services on behalf of wind farm developer Vattenfall, have completed work to construct new and upgrade existing site tracks.
Eryl Roberts, project manager for the joint venture, said: “The completion of the site access tracks is a welcome milestone, as the project is dictated by their progress and completion.
“Quality tracks are needed to access each turbine base location, and we can now move plant to all 76 of the project’s turbine locations.
“It’s been a challenging process, as the site has a variety of different ground conditions to contend with.
“Since starting work on the access tracks in April 2014, we’ve upgraded 50km of existing tracks and constructed a further 30km.”
The site tracks are constructed by laying a geotextile reinforcing layer on top of existing ground and vegetation. A layer of blasted rock is then built on top, ranging in 0.5m to 1.5m in depth, depending on the surface’s requirement.
A further capping layer of processed rock, approximately 150mm in depth, is then added to provide a smooth surface for turbine deliveries to be made on.
The tracks are at least 5m wide, with increased width at junctions and bends, and constructed to ensure they can withstand heavy plant and vehicles delivering wind turbine components.
Elsewhere on site, other aspects of the wind farm project are also nearing completion
Eryl said: “We have five more turbine pours to complete, and we have a few more weeks of cabling left in Central West area before we start cabling in the West – the last of four regions the project is divided into.”
Alistair Hinton, Construction Manager for Vattenfall, said: “Siemens, the turbine supplier tested the tracks with a trial run in September which was successful.
"We are currently working to finish preparations ahead of the first delivery in mid-November.
"We endeavor to keep the community informed using a number of methods, with our website being the first port of call for the most up to date information.”
