Tight turns for Golticlay wind farm blades arriving into Wick

It has been months in the planning and now blades have begun to arrive into Wick Port in Scotland for RWE’s Golticlay wind farm where Farrans are the main contractor working alongside turbine contractor Nordex.

There are 11 turbines in total on Golticlay, therefore totalling 33 blades to be delivered to site.

The blades are the first components to be delivered and these are due to all be delivered by the end of the month.

Blades are brought to Wick Port by sea, and then delivered from the port to the purposely built Blade Transfer Area (BTA), just outside Wick. They are delivered to the BTA using the ‘blade lifter’, which allows them to be lifted at an angle to navigate the tight streets of Wick town centre.

The blade lifter can only operate at extremely low speeds, therefore the blades are transferred onto more standard wagons at the BTA prior to being delivered to site.

Farrans were responsible for the offsite highway modifications to facilitate the turbine deliveries to site via the A99, including the Blade Transfer Area platform. All deliveries are the responsibility of the turbine contractor, Nordex, who are contracted by RWE.

Golticlay Wind Farm features 11 state-of-the-art wind turbines, each 180 metres to the blade tip and individually boasting a capacity of 5.7 MW. Once operational, the wind farm will be capable of producing enough renewable electricity to power approximately 84,000 Scottish homes annually.

The site will not only generate clean, home-grown power but also deliver economic benefits at a regional level, boosting local businesses and creating jobs in the area.

Farrans is responsible for managing the construction operations and is committed to working with local subcontractors to maximise RWE’s investment locally.

Full power generation is anticipated for the end of 2026.