Australia: Port of Bunbury receives 51 new wind turbine blades

The flexible capacity of the Port of Bunbury to manage large-scale project cargo continues to drive crucial energy transition projects in the southern regions of Western Australia, with the recent import of 51 new wind turbine blades, part of over 180 components destined for the Wheatbelt region as a total project.

The components will be transported by road to the King Rocks wind farm, which is under construction northeast of Hyden, over the coming months.

Southern Ports CEO, Keith Wilks, stated that the Port of Bunbury plays a fundamental role in supporting Western Australia's energy transition.

"The Port of Bunbury's location and its flexible capacity to facilitate the transport of large-scale project cargo mean it is perfectly positioned to assist in the state's energy transition. There are various renewable energy projects at different stages of development in the southwest and neighboring regions, whose viability is facilitated by the possibility of transporting components through Bunbury," said Wilks.

In collaboration with Vestas, the company developing the wind farm for the state-owned power company Synergy, 185 components were imported through the port in two shipments. The AAL Shanghai arrived in mid-March, before the AAL Antwerp now arrived, carrying the 51 turbine blades, each up to 80 meters in length.

Upon arrival, the components were moved to a sector ideally located less than 300 meters from the wharf. "The eight designated storage areas currently at the port collectively cover over 136,000 m2 and are within easy reach of our general-purpose wharf," explained Wilks.

"Access for storage increases the viability of project cargo trade at the port, as it allows off-site transport to occur at convenience, rather than having to coordinate with vessel movements. The Port of Bunbury has played a key role in energy transition projects throughout the south of the state, opening opportunities in the southwest, the Great Southern region, and now in Wheatbelt," Wilks concluded.

As an import terminal, the Port of Bunbury has enabled Synergy's Collie battery energy storage system and Enel's Flat Rocks wind farm, as well as other key energy transition projects.