First turbine installed at Mortlake South Wind Farm

A team of skilled personnel has successfully installed the first wind turbine of ACCIONA’s Mortlake South Wind Farm project, erecting the installation over a four-day period.

The four steel tower sections were installed first, followed by the nacelle and hub, and finally, the three blades, which were bolted into place on 28 November.

The crane that lifted all the elements for the top of the turbine is capable of lifting the heaviest components together — the nacelle, hub and drive train — which collectively weigh 210 tonnes.

“This lift is the heaviest ever completed by a construction crew at a wind farm in the Southern Hemisphere and we’re incredibly proud of our team for being part of such an impressive achievement,” Mortlake South Wind Farm Project Manager Andrew Tshaikiwsky said.

“At the moment we have one main crane operating at site and this will be joined by a second later in December. On average, each crane will complete the installation of one wind turbine per week between now and late April,” commented Tshaikiwsky.

Construction on the Mortlake South Wind Farm began in early 2019 and will see more than $180 million directly invested into regional Victoria.

ACCIONA Energy’s Managing Director Brett Wickham said, “Building a wind farm is a significant undertaking, and after so much preparation, and particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re pleased to see the towers going up. Our team is working hard, and our local subcontractors continue to contribute their valuable skills to this project — we couldn’t do it without them, and we thank the community for their ongoing support.”

Over the next five months, 34 more turbines will be installed at the site, bringing the total to 35 wind turbine generators, each with a hub height of 105 m and a maximum tip height of 186 m.

“The turbines being installed at the Mortlake South Wind Farm represent the latest technology, with each turbine capable of producing 4.5 MW of clean energy, the highest output of any wind turbine in Australia,” Tshaikiwsky said.

Once commissioned, the wind farm will produce 530 GWh of clean energy every year, enough to power up to 117,000 households.

Component deliveries and turbine assembly will continue over the coming months, with completion of the wind farm anticipated for late April.

Image courtesy of ACCIONA.