Want wind power? Move mountains first.

The global shift to renewable energy has sparked a surge in wind power projects, but have you ever seen the size of a wind turbine up close? Wind farm equipment is enormous, creating a logistics challenge of epic proportions. The blades on most modern wind turbines are over 75 meters (246 feet) long!

Wind farm components like towers, blades, and nacelles (what’s that?) are enormous, delicate, and often produced far from their final destinations. Transporting these massive pieces is fraught with challenges ranging from oversized dimensions and weight restrictions to precise handling to avoid damage. There are also other factors to consider, like production delays, port congestion, and weather events, to name a few. Starting to get the picture?

With the growing demand for clean energy, ensuring these massive shipments reach their destinations on time and in perfect condition requires innovative logistics solutions. Let’s explore three standout examples from our DHL Industrial Project team to illustrate how these challenges are overcome.

Transporting wind farm equipment requires a blend of creativity, precision, and teamwork – often on an international scale. Each project brings unique hurdles, as you’ll see below.

The project was massive, multifaceted, and spanned six months. A global team from DHL Industrial Projects was charged with moving nearly 375,000 cubic meters of wind farm equipment from China and Vietnam to Sweden. The cargo consisted of the windmill towers (in sections), nacelles, hubs, drivetrains, blades, and accessories.

Production delays postponed the start date, and port congestion increased transit time, requiring the team to remain agile and develop alternative solutions to keep the project on schedule. By vetting alternate carriers and ports and consolidating cargo with another shipment going to Finland, they were able to quickly secure space and load cargo at less congested ports.

With large-scale logistics expertise and collaborative planning across a global team, DHL Industrial Projects ultimately shipped the wind farm equipment across 17 vessels to mitigate the delays and maintain momentum.

Our DHL Industrial Projects team in Australia was hired to manage the collection of wind turbine components from various origins in Asia and transport via ocean freight to New Zealand. The cargo consisted of the components of 41 wind turbines and all necessary equipment – some 410 heavy “out-of-gauge” components that exceed standard container dimensions and require specialized transportation methods. The team needed three 60,000-ton ships to complete the transport.

Because the equipment came from multiple sources, an integrated project management team coordinated the shipments and ensured smooth, timely operations. This included logistics managers on the ground at ports to oversee loading and unloading, supported by engineering and chartering teams that designed stow plans and lifting operations for maximum safety and efficiency. The project met all deadlines while following our “zero harm” principle to protect all stakeholders and assets.

Large-scale logistics doesn’t happen overnight. You can’t express ship a 50-meter wind blade across the Atlantic like a standard replacement part. But safety, speed, and efficiency can still be the difference between one month of downtime or several.

When a wind turbine malfunctioned in Turkey due to faulty blades, DHL Industrial Projects expedited the delivery of three 50-meter wind blades from the United States in just one month. Working under intense time pressure, the blades were shipped from the Port of Houston to the Port of Izmir, where they were loaded onto extendable blade trailers for road transport to the final destination.

Facing this critical challenge, our team’s rapid response ensured the blades arrived ahead of the estimated delivery date, reducing the customer’s financial losses for the inoperable turbine.

If we’ve learned anything from these three projects, it’s that wind power logistics is global and complex. Here are a few key takeaways for overcoming the challenges of large-scale logistics:

• Flexibility is critical: When faced with production delays and port congestion, adapting quickly and using alternative carriers and routes can keep projects on track.
• Collaboration is key: With so many moving parts, close coordination within the team and with customers and partners is paramount to minimize disruptions.
• Prioritize safety and precision: Following a “zero harm” principle puts people first and minimizes the risk of incidents or damage.
• Expertise drives results: Industry expertise and worldwide presence, combined with dedicated in-house teams, end-to-end services, and on-site support, ensure smooth operation.
• Speed matters in critical situations: Time-sensitive projects, like the urgent delivery of wind blades to Turkey, demonstrate the importance of prioritizing speed without sacrificing precision.

It takes mountains of massive equipment to deliver wind power to the world. And moving those mountains takes expertise, precision, and a commitment to solving some of the toughest logistics challenges. Our Industrial Project teams, which are spread across 50+ locations worldwide, have proven time and again that no project is too big or complex to handle.

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