AAL Shipping has completed the transportation of 125,175 revenue tonnes of wind turbine components for the King Rocks Wind Farm in Western Australia, reducing the project from an estimated three or four sailings to just two.
The operation was carried out using AAL’s 32,000 DWT AAL Antwerp and 31,000 DWT AAL Shanghai, demonstrating the cargo capacity of the company’s multipurpose fleet and its expertise in renewable energy logistics.
The final voyage saw AAL Antwerp arrive in Bunbury carrying 91,739 revenue tonnes of cargo, including 51 wind turbine blades measuring up to 80 metres in length and weighing more than 36 tonnes each. The blades were stowed up to six abreast and five tiers high, allowing more than 70% of the project cargo to be transported on a single sailing.
Together, the two vessels delivered all wind turbine blades and towers required for the 17 turbine, 105 MW King Rocks Wind Farm near Hyden.
Renate Poppe, Regional Operations Manager at AAL Shipping Australia, said, “Projects such as the 105 MW King Rocks Wind Farm demonstrate the value that AAL’s engineering expertise and modern vessel design bring to renewable energy logistics. By optimising cargo stowage and vessel utilisation we were able to consolidate what would traditionally require multiple sailings into just two voyages, delivering tangible financial and schedule benefits for our customer.”
The discharge operation also required careful engineering due to the height of the blade stacks and port crane limitations.
Nicola Pacifico, Global Head of Engineering at AAL Shipping, said, “Painstaking planning and execution were required to accommodate port crane height and outreach limitations. Despite the complexity, discharge was completed safely and efficiently within nine days.”
Once operational, the King Rocks Wind Farm will generate enough renewable energy to supply approximately 70,000 homes.
