Sarens has an extensive proven experience in installation of wind turbine generators (WTG) globally. Sarens was asked by our client to install 35 V136 WTGs at the Soetwater Wind Farm and 35 V136 WTGs at the Karusa Wind Farm at South Africa’s Karoo Hoogland District in Northern Cape Province. 

Sarens decided to use:

• LG1550 (SL 98m Main Boom)
• LTM1100
• AC80
• AC500
• LTM1500
• LTM160
• AC160
• Push Pull Truck
• SPMT 10Axle 
• Trucks & Trailers (Relocation)

The equipment was selected to ensure swift operation and minimum downtime during main crane relocation. Sarens had to mobilise the equipment within 2 weeks to the remote mountain ridge with steep inclinations and slopes. The equipment was transported from the HQ and near Port Elizabeth in South Africa through road. Nine additional trucks were used to relocate the luffer sections for the AC500. The main build equipment took 15 hours to assemble and relocate from one pad to the other due to difficult terrain and steep inclinations at the site. Due to the challenging terrain the team had to use an additional push pull truck to pull the LG1550 up the mountain from one pad location to the other. 

The V136 WTG sections to be lifted were:

• Bottom Section 60T
• Mid-Section 58.5T -Correct 
• Top Tower 41.5T
• Nacelle 72T
• Drive Train 66T
• Hub 35T
• Blades 12.5T 

The lifts consisted of multiple tandem lifts for the top and tail method on the turbines and for all the other components the team worked on single lifts. According to the Project Manager, Christiaan Louw, “Our skilled wind operations crew of 44 safely installed the WTGs despite steep slopes, high wind speed, and bad weather conditions.”