When Monmouthshire engineering construction firm Mabey Bridge - a part of the Fairfield Mabey Group - wanted to expand its Chepstow warehouse to manufacture wind turbine towers, it came to RPS for transport advice.
Transporting wind turbine towers by sea is no easy task, and the obstacles only increase when broaching the proposal to transport the towers by road. The steel towers are usually between 60 and 90 metres (200 to 300ft) in length. The sections of an 80m tower can be 36m (120ft) long, with a diameter of 4.5m (15ft) and weigh over 70 tons. Transportation can account for as much as 20% of the total build cost of a turbine.
RPS provided highways and transport advice for the successful £25m application for a change in planning use class for the manufacture of wind turbine towers at the Newhouse Farm Industrial Park, Chepstow, undertaking an abnormal loads study and a transport assessment to accompany the application. Planning consent was granted by Monmouthshire County Council in March 2010.
RPS also provided transport inputs to the BREEAM Pre-Assessment for the 16,400m2 extension to more than double the client’s existing warehouse space to produce and coat the towers using a sophisticated computer-automated system for cutting, rolling, welding and coating the steel. The extension will also provide additional office, storage, and loading space. The client expects to produce 100 towers in its first year of operation building turbine parts, and up to 300 towers each year thereafter – creating up to 240 new jobs.
The work RPS undertook involved:
• Assessing the routes to and within the site for both HGV’s and abnormal load vehicles. This informed the design process and identified issues and improvements required.
• An accessibility audit for access via all modes of travel including public transport, walking and cycling.
• An assessment of road safety data and impacts on traffic flows within the vicinity of the site.
• Identifying measures to mitigate the impact of the proposals.
The site was selected because it is conveniently located with direct access to the M48 and M4, only five miles from the M5, and is well positioned for access to the Newport, Bristol and Cardiff docks, and Avonmouth port.
Speaking on the recent positive result of the application—which will see the site become the UK’s largest manufacturer of wind turbines, Richard Stacey, RPS Project Director says: “The work was completed in a short space of time, and as a result the client reported that they were extremely satisfied with the comprehensive – and quick – input which RPS provided.”
Contact:
Richard Stacey
T: +44 (0) 1635 279 000
E: richard.stacey@rpsgroup.com