Giant turbine convoy makes its way to wind farm

A striking convoy carrying two massive turbine blades has successfully negotiated its way to a south of Scotland wind farm.

Renewables firm CWP Energy believes it is the first time that such a journey has been completed using two vehicles with the blade lifter technology - supplied by Collett & Sons - at the same time.

The blades for the 44-turbine Sanquhar II wind farm arrived via King George V dock in Glasgow before being transferred to a holding area north of New Cumnock.

From there, the slow-moving convoy travelled south on the A76 towards Kirkconnel before turning onto a minor road to the site entrance of the wind farm.

The vast majority of the turbines in the development have a tip height of 200m (650ft) with their three blades measuring about 75m (250ft) each.

Deliveries are usually made with them lying flat but, given their length, that is not always straightforward on rural roads.

Blade lifters allow turbines to be raised and rotated during transport, helping navigate "challenging road layouts, tight bends and changes in elevation".

They require a police escort due to the size of the vehicles and the turbines as well as the slow speed that they move at.

The lifters have been used on other wind farms in the south of Scotland - but not always with success - and only to deliver one blade at a time.

There were regular problems when they were used on the Pines Burn project in the Scottish Borders back in 2024.

However, CWP said the first blades taken to the Sanqhuar site had been delivered "safely and efficiently" on Wednesday along the approved route.

It described the transportation of two blades in convoy as a "significant achievement for the project and the wider renewable energy sector".

Chief operations officer Stuart Walker said it was an "important milestone" for the project.

"Delivering two blades simultaneously using blade lifters represents a significant logistical achievement and showcases the innovation being applied across the wind industry to safely transport increasingly large turbine components," he said.

Ahmad El Khatib, project manager from Vestas, who are supplying the turbines for the site, said it was a "source of genuine pride".

"This operation has been the subject of extensive discussion, preparation, and alignment with multiple stakeholders for more than a year," he added.

Paul Worth, senior project manager with Collett & Sons, said seeing both lifters in operation was a "significant achievement for everyone involved".

The wind farm - which straddles Dumfries and Galloway and East Ayrshire - will become the UK's fourth largest onshore wind farm when it becomes operational.

Once completed, it will generate enough electricity to power about 335,000 homes.

The company has set up a dedicated Facebook page with details of the timing of its turbine deliveries.