The first batch of project cargo for the largest wind project in the southern hemisphere has been unloaded at the Geelong Port in Australia. COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers’ multipurpose vessel Da Gui delivered the first batch of equipment for Vestas’ Golden Plains project from Taicang, Jiangsu province.

Da Xin, the second ship working under the project, also departed for Australia after finishing its cargo operations in Tianjin’s Dongzao Port.

Vestas will be supplying 122 sets of V162-6.2MW units of turbines for the Australian project. Once the project is finished, the total capacity of the units will reach 1,300 MW, making Golden Plains the largest project of its kind in the entire southern hemisphere.

Multiple deliveries planned

The size of the project meant that dozens of voyages would be needed to complete the transport of all the components. COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers specialises in transporting wind power cargo and handles over 3 million cubic meters of it each year.

The company focused on precision when designing the loading arrangements. The company worked closely with both the loading and unloading ports and assigned experienced port captains to oversee the operations. It picked the vessel Da Gui for the first voyage. The vessel features a flat deck, Box-type cargo hold, and double-deck capabilities. It has a lifting capacity of up to 700 tons, which perfectly meets the requirements for hoisting wind power tower components, making it an ideal choice for transporting wind power equipment.

Da Gui, on July 29, loaded ten sets of wind turbine tower components in Taicang, Jiangsu Province, and embarked on its first voyage for the Golden Plains project in Australia. The ship accomplished the loading of nearly 41,000 cubic meters of wind turbine tower components within just five days at Taicang Port.