Friday 4 July 08 - 22:52
 

News

Wind Blade Record for Southampton

The largest shipment of wind turbine blades ever exported from the UK left the ABP Port of Southampton recently on board MV Atlas Gracht , the longest vessel to be operated by Vestas Wind Systems (formerly NEG Micon Rotors Ltd ).
Wind turbine blades are loaded on board MV Atlas Gracht at the Port of Southampton.
Wind turbine blades are loaded on board MV Atlas Gracht at the Port of Southampton.

A total of 60 of the 35m long aerodynamic wind turbine blades were loaded onto MV Atlas Gracht and stacked in a formation three blades high. The blades are destined for Napier Port in New Zealand and will be installed at a wind farm capable of producing 30MW of power, enough to satisfy the requirements of some 30,000 homes.

The blades and components are manufactured by Vestas Wind Systems, one of the world's largest producers of wind turbines, at its dedicated UK manufacturing plant on the Isle of Wight. The blades are then transported on purpose built vessels to a dedicated facility at Southampton's Eastern Docks, where they are assembled into various shipments for onward delivery by sea to ports and wind farm sites worldwide.

MJ Information No: 19855

Images for this article - click to enlarge

Wind turbine blades are loaded on board MV Atlas Gracht at the Port of Southampton.

All images copyright © Mercator Media 2008

Related products

For more information on products mentioned within this article visit

Vestas Blades (Isle of Wight)

TaylotFuel_Skyscraper_0508