The cargo, weighing upward of 2000 t, is now ready for transportation over 1000 km by road to St Ives Gold Mine near Kambalda.
Among the components being prepared for delivery are 80 m long turbine blades weighing more than 24 t each and reaching a combined length of 1.7 km if laid end-to-end. Gold Fields Principal Specialist and Project Director Simon Schmid said arrival of the wind turbine components marked a major milestone for the project team and partners.
“We’re excited to have our turbines onshore in Western Australia, marking another significant step towards delivering this industry-leading renewable energy initiative,” Simon said. “We expect that transporting all components will take about two months as they are moved incrementally from Geraldton Port to St Ives, located 80 kilometres south of Kalgoorlie.
“People living in and passing through Mid West and Goldfields communities will likely get a glimpse of some of these massive components as they make the journey east-south-east.”
The staggered haulage will be managed by RJA Engineered Transportation, with a carefully coordinated logistics timetable. The cargo arrival follows recent completion of seven concrete foundations poured at the project site to underpin the turbines, each containing 800m3 of concrete. When complete, the St Ives Renewable Energy Project will host a 42MW wind farm and a 35MW solar farm spanning 2.5km2.
Both the wind and solar farms have been advancing on time and on budget, with construction and commissioning expected to be completed in 2026. Once operational, the renewable energy system will power more than 70% of Gold Fields’ St Ives mine, becoming Western Australia’s largest renewable energy initiative at an existing mine site.
Gold Fields is planning a school outreach and education program across the Mid West and Goldfields to help students learn more about the benefits of renewable energy in mining. Engagement is planned for schools in a number of communities located along the turbine transport route, which tracks the Geraldton-Mount Magnet Road, Mount Magnet-Leinster Road and Goldfields Highway.