The first batch of wind turbine components for Uungula Wind Farm near Wellington was delivered to site last week as the next phase of the project gets underway.

The Golden Highway – a major transport corridor connecting the region with the east coast – will be put to the test as each of the proposed 69 wind turbines has 13 components making the 400km journey to Wellington from Newcastle via that route.

Up to 26 “oversize overmass” (OSOM) deliveries of site components will make their way to the project site 14 kilometres east of Wellington each week, Squadron Energy general manager Mark Hunt said.

The start of deliveries represents a key construction milestone for the wind farm project, with major wind turbine components weighing up to almost 100 tonnes each now being transported from the Port of Newcastle to site under approved traffic management arrangements.

Squadron Energy has worked closely with principal contractor GE Vernova, transport operator ARES, local councils and relevant agencies to plan deliveries safely and minimise impacts on local communities and road users along the transport route, Mr Hunt said.

Current deliveries from Newcastle are travelling via the Golden Highway, Saxa Road, continuing via the Mitchell Highway/Goolma Road intersection and Twelve Mile Road to the project site.

“We thank the community and motorists for their patience while these deliveries take place. We’ve worked hard to ensure the timing of deliveries minimises impacts to the local community,” Mr Hunt said.

Teams will soon mobilise to build the turbines which make up the 414MW wind farm.

“We’ve been busy completing the turbine foundations on site, with more than 55 now finished, but this is where the work soon starts to become more visual with cranes standing up tower sections ahead of installation,” Mr Hunt explained.

“In the coming months, we’ll start installation with 750-tonne cranes involved in the careful lifting of turbine pieces into place.

“Our main focus right now is the delivery of turbine tower segments, which range in length from 10 to 36 metres, and nacelles, which sit on top of the tower encasing the gearbox, generator, and brake system.

“We’ll start to move blades, which are the most challenging components due to their length, in the coming months,” he concluded.