Three SCHEUERLE BladeLifter systems are supporting a challenging wind farm project in Germany, transporting 60 rotor blades measuring nearly 86 metres through mountainous terrain, narrow villages and tight serpentines.
The operation, supporting the Bad Berleburg wind farm, involves transporting 85.85-metre blades for ENERCON E-175 EP5 E1 turbines using BladeLifter units mounted on 16 axle lines of modular platform trailers.
Covering a 45-kilometre route split into three sections, the transports combine conventional towed operation with self-propelled movement on the most demanding final section. Depending on route conditions, blade pitch angles vary between 21 and 46 degrees, allowing the loads to navigate underpasses, steep gradients and tight bends while clearing obstacles.
A major advantage of the BladeLifter technology is its ability to actively raise the rotor blades over obstacles, including protected trees, helping avoid route modifications and minimise environmental impact.
“The challenge lies in the combination of demanding route conditions and constantly changing environments,” said Björn Feddermann, Global Logistics Project Manager at ENERCON. “Tight curves, varying elevations and weather influences such as wind and fog require full control of the rotor blade at all times.”
Conditions on the route include gradients of up to 16 percent, while winter weather, fog and strong winds add further complexity. Transport operations are carried out both day and night to take advantage of suitable conditions.
Two BladeLifter systems are operated by Steil Kranarbeiten, with a third run by ENERCON. Coordinating three parallel transport teams, alongside deliveries of tower sections and other components, requires detailed planning and close cooperation.
“These transports only work as a team effort,” said Manuel Eck of Steil Kranarbeiten.
The project underlines how specialised heavy transport solutions are becoming increasingly critical as wind turbine components continue to grow in scale.
