By Don Thompson
MUNDAY – Don Dyson, Senior Construction Manager for Akuo Energy USA, gave the Lions Club a presentation about the construction of wind turbine electric generators at the meeting on Aug. 16. Dyson is in charge of construction at the Truscott-Gilliland East (TGE) project, located mostly east of Gilliland.
Dyson said it can take up to ten years for a project to be completed due to all the factors involved, both before and during construction; politics, taxes, regulations, changes in national and local requirements, supply and demand of components, transportation, and many economic aspects. Basic requirements to determine a location are the presence of wind, an existing electric infrastructure, appropriate topography, and willing local landowners.
The economic impact of a wind farm on a county is positive in many ways. At peak construction stage, 327 workers are stationed locally, with the addition of others that come in and out during different stages of construction. After construction, the wind farm will create nine local jobs for up to 25 years.
The wind turbines in the TGE are some of the world’s largest landbased turbines. The largest are 450 feet tall at the nacelle (the housing at the top of the tower), up to 555 feet tall at the top of the blade, and can produce up to 5.5 megawatts. The nacelle may look small perched at the top of the tower, but is the size of a large school bus, up to 40 feet long. Each turbine can cost up to $5 million with all costs included.
The blades are constructed of carbon fiber and balsa wood, with the longest up to 82 meters (269 feet) long, which is the longest that can be transported. The tip of the blade can travel at up to 600 feet per minute (just under 7 mph). The cranes that lift the stages of the tower and the blades in place can lift 600 hundred tons. 80 to 100 truck loads of concrete are used in the base of each turbine. Each turbine is a complicated project, and the construction companies are able to build hundreds of wind turbines within a relatively small area.