A Vexing
Mystery Solved: July 2009 |
Ever since launching
the boat this year, I'd noticed that one particular motel on
Route 1 in Belfast was always full of trailer-less Kenworth
and Peterbilt tractors, along with myriad oversize load
escort vehicles. The first time I noticed it, I didn't
think too much of it. However, over the next few
weeks, every time I went by this place on my way to and from
the boat, this motel was still full of these trucks and
escort vehicles. Naturally, I started to wonder what these
rigs might have been hauling, to where and from where, and
why they were here. I couldn't think of anything nearby
that they could be associated with, on this scale and at
this location.
My first thought, given the empty rigs and escort
vehicles, was that the trucks were somehow related to wind
turbines. But I couldn't think of a wind power project
going on that would logically send the trucks down this
particular stretch of road: the large-scale wind
projects that I knew of in Maine were located elsewhere, and
this wouldn't have been the way the rigs would get to and
fro, so this only deepened the mystery for me.
Finally, one day I remembered to take note of the company
name noted on the trucks:
ATS.
Back at home, I looked them up online, and found that they
specialized in wind turbine transportation. All fine
and well, but I just couldn't reconcile this with the
location. What were they doing in Belfast, ME?
Why always empty? Why lying in wait?
Shortly thereafter, I was driving up to the boat one
morning, and found the traffic stopped just north of
Searsport: two state troopers and an escort vehicle in
the middle of the road, but no signs of anything else.
But I think oversize loads are cool, so I didn't mind
waiting to find out what was coming.
Before long, my
mystery was solved. Coming out of an access road
leading to the industrial side of Searsport harbor came one
of the ATS trucks with--you guessed it--a wind turbine blade
behind. The trailer was from a local construction
company,
Reed & Reed, and things started clicking.
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At first, I though Reed
and Reed might have been building the turbine blades in
Searsport, though I didn't think they built turbine blades,
and also didn't think they had a facility in Searsport,
but checking online later I discovered that the blades
for 22 wind generators for the ongoing
Kibby Mountain Wind Power Project in Maine had been
constructed in Denmark, and shipped to Searsport for storage
until they could be delivered to the construction site.
Quoting from the
Reed &
Reed website:
The twenty-two Vestas V90
WTG machines have been delivered from Denmark and
temporarily stored in Searsport, Maine. Delivery of the WTG
equipment to site will start June 3. Road upgrades to the
WTG component delivery route have been completed to
accommodate the over-size loads. Approximately five loads
of components per day will be moved from Searsport to Kibby
to supply the erection crews.
Phew. There
you have it. Weeks of sleepless nights were now behind
me.
I love these wind turbines, by the way. |
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