West Coast Energy - Nigg Wind Energy

Engineering & Transport

ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS HAVE BEEN UNDERTAKING WORK TO ASSESS THE TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY OF CONSTRUCTING A WIND FARM AT THIS SITE. THIS WORK INCLUDES:
  • An initial review of local geology
  • A review of potential sources of construction materials
  • A design for the on-site track layout and assessment of the route to the site from the B9175
  • Drawings to accompany the planning application e.g. turbine specifications, hardstanding requirements, cable trenches and control building ion/control building layouts
Where possible, local construction firms will be used as this will benefit local businesses and minimise the volume of construction traffic.

Engineers are also advising on the predicted number of vehicle movements during the construction period. An on-site borrow pit will be created for materials for the track construction but aggregate for the concrete bases is likely to be sourced from a local quarry. In total we estimate that there will be a requirement for around 440 HGVs to the site during construction.   In addition,the delivery of the turbine components (towers, nacelles and blades) will require 47 exceptional load deliveries over the construction period of several months. These will come in from Invergordon via the A9..

The size of vehicles is typically:
  • Maximum vehicle height = 4.65 metres
  • Maximum vehicle width = 4.50 metres
  • Maximum vehicle length approximately 50 metres
The route taken by vehicles and the timing of deliveries during construction will be considered carefully in order to minimise disruption for local residents. Once construction has been completed, traffic to the site will be minimal.

The option illustrated below to the right is our preferred route.

Construction

Turbines will be installed on concrete foundations, with the towers, nacelles and blades lifted in place using cranes. Electrical cables between all turbines and the control building will be buried underground, adjacent to the access track. The connection into the existing 33 KiloVolt grid line which runs to the Fabrication Yard will be just south of Bayfield mains with the line installed underground all the way to the windfarm (i.e. there would be no new overground line). The precise routing of the underground line would be the subject of a separate consent process.

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