Substation transformer delivered to the construction site of the Enel Russia’s Kolskaya wind farm

A special project, providing for the use of a foldable short gap bridge made of metal structures, was developed to deliver a transformer to the site of the Kolskaya wind farm in the Murmansk region.

First, the transformer, weighing more than 122 tons, more than 7 meters long, more than 4 meters high and almost 3 meters wide, was delivered by railway to the Kolskaya station, where it was put on a special low-bed trailer, which allows to transport cargo at a safe height on the way to the construction site.The transformer was transported from the railway station to the construction site of the Kolskaya WPP wind farm along the only possible route - across the bridge over the Kanentyavr river, while the bearing capacity of the bridge did not allow the transformer to be safely transported. A foldable short gap bridge with a length of about 30 meters was erected over the existing bridge, while the supports of the short gap bridge were installed on the roadway without touching the existing bridge.

 

“The delivery of the transformer for the substation is an important milestone in the construction of a wind farm. For the transportation of this bulky cargo, a new route has been developed and a unique technical solution has been successfully implemented: the erection of a swing bridge capable of withstanding increased loads.
Despite the challenging weather conditions, the works at the construction site of the Kola wind farm are carried out 24 hours a day. The installation of a wind farm in the Murmansk region is one of our strategic objectives, which will also contribute to diversifying the region's energy portfolio”

- Stephane Zweguintzow, General director of Enel Russia.

 

On the night of the shipping, traffic on this section of the road was completely closed for about 6 hours: in such a short time, specialists of contractors coordinated by Enel Green Power successfully assembled the temporary bridge, transported the cargo and dismantled the structure.

The total weight of the vehicle, including the hauler, special trailer and the transformer itself, was more than 175 tons. The transportation was carried out in difficult conditions of the northern winter: at temperatures of minus 25-30 degrees, in a blizzard and snowfall.

At the same time, installation of wind turbine foundations and construction of permanent on-site roads, as well as blasting operations are in progress at the construction site of the Kolskaya wind farm of PJSC Enel Russia. Some structural elements and building materials for the wind farm have already been delivered to the territory of Russia. In addition, work is underway on the construction of a transmission line that will connect the wind farm with the Unified Energy System of Russia. Installation of a medium voltage cable and collector grid is in progress, and the concrete pouring and metal structure assembly of the main building of the substation for which the transformer was delivered are at the completion stage.

The ground-breaking ceremony of the 201 MW Kolskaya wind farm construction, the largest renewable energy project beyond the Arctic Circle, was held on September 19, 2019 in the presence of the Governor of the Murmansk Region Andrey Chibis and the top-management of Enel Russia.

PJSC Enel Russia was awarded the 201 MW Kolskaya wind farm project in the 2017 Russian Government tender for the construction of 1.9 GW of total installed wind capacity.

Construction works on the Kolskaya wind farm are carried out under the supervision of Enel Green Power, a business-line of Enel Group responsible for the development, construction and operation of renewable energy facilities around the world.

The wind farm will be able to generate about 750 GWh of clean electricity per year, avoiding the emission of around 600,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year. The wind facility will consist of 57 turbines and cover the area of ​​257 hectares. The completion of the Kolskaya wind farm construction is scheduled for the end of 2021.

In addition to the Kolskaya wind farm, PJSC Enel Russia is implementing two more projects in the field of wind generation: the Azov wind farm (90 MW) in the Rostov region and the Rodnikovsky wind farm (71 MW) in the Stavropol region.

The total investment of PJSC Enel Russia in the three wind farms will amount to about 495 million euros, which underlines the company's strong commitment to contribute to the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, namely SDG 12 - Responsible consumption and production and SDG 13 - Combat climate change.