1. in the cArgo
MOViNGWiNdMiLLS:
ATRiCKyBUSiNESS
WorldWide deMAnd for windmills is rising “So now we have a 90-tonne loaded trailer
rapidly as countries take up power generation which we need to lift and then roll onto the
from renewable energy. These hi-tech, modern vessel. Obviously the operations team had to
day equivalents of one of the world’s oldest check this was achievable before we could
technologies are making a significant contrib- give a definite okay.
ution in the battle against climate change. “The blades themselves are not only very
Top ten business supplier, Nordex of long but also very delicate, so they have to
Germany, has formed a new partnership with be fitted in a transport frame which is spe-
Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics, together with cific to the cargo. And they have to be lifted
Dako Worldwide Transport, Dusseldorf, and with two cranes which needs a great deal of
UTC Overseas of Atlanta, to ship 25 such wind skill and concentration from the operations
energy systems from Bremerhaven in Ger- team. This is where our competence and
many to Baltimore on the eastern seaboard of experience with over-sized cargo is put to
the US. the test.”
“The world market for wind turbines has
grown by 34% in the past three years; but we WWl hAs Worked closely on overcom-
have grown by 54% in this period,” explains ing these challenges with Dako Worldwide
Sandra Jaekel of Nordex. Transport and UTC USA. Added value services
“Europe is still the biggest market but the at the dockside have been provided by steve-
Americas, particularly the US and Canada, will dores, Atlantik Hafenbetriebe.
see a rapid increase over the next five years. “Because of road transport height restric-
The other big area of growth is Asia, especially tions, Nordex delivered the nacelles and cool-
China and India.” ing hoods from Rostock separately,” explains
The WWL service to Baltimore offers Nasser. “Working with Nordex personnel and
Nordex a route to enter the US market as part in close cooperation with Atlantik, these hoods
of its three-continent growth strategy. The 25 were mounted at the dockside after the cargo
turbines, broken down into their major compo- was stowed on the roll trailer.”
nents, are all scheduled to be shipped by the Given such a complex operation, it was
end of this year. not surprising that Nasser, plus the WWL
port manager Volker Freese and teams from
And it is not just the tight time scale that both Nordex and Dako Worldwide, were all at
presents a shipping challenge, according to Bremerhaven to see the first shipment being
Abu Nasser, Manager Sales Marketing, successfully loaded in a very professional and
WWL Europe. smooth operation.
“Quite apart from the 44-metre long blades, “The whole process provided by WWL for
which we have to handle separately, each wind the first shipment was very convincing,” com-
energy system consists of a number of differ- ments Jaekel. “We were happy with the quick
ent large components which have to be loaded and safe handling of our components and we
and then stowed and lashed under the deck. can easily imagine further cooperation.”
photo: hAns sCherhAufer
“The project is very focused on the optimum With world energy prices still close to
stowage of the components on the roll trailer. record highs, it seems more and more
For instance, the drive-train is 5.95 metres long consumers should get used to the idea that
and weighs 45.5 tonnes. In order to save time renewable energy, and especially windmills,
and cost, the customer asked if we could ship are the future.
two pieces on each trailer. rupert sAunders
6VENTURE32008

2. A 90-tonne loaded trailer is
lifted and then rolled on to the
weather deck of the vessel
when moving the 44-metre-long
blades of the windmills.
VENTURE320087