HUGE turbine blades for a north-east windfarm project arrived at Aberdeen harbour yesterday.
The 131ft parts were brought ashore to be transported to the Hill of Towie, in Moray, where a 21-turbine farm will be built.
The 31 blades were shipped from Esbjerg in Denmark and made up the first of six shipments which will arrive in Aberdeen over the coming months – importing the components needed for the project, which will provide enough energy to power 26,000 homes.
The Siemens turbines will be installed on the site at Rosarie, near Keith, by Renewable Energy Systems who are behind the development.
The parts arrived in Aberdeen on the Abis Bergen, which is expected to continue offloading the blades and other cargo today.
The vessel is berthed at Commercial Quay, which recently underwent £4million of upgrades to allow it to accommodate larger shipments.
Harbourmaster Captain Ray Shaw said: “Recognising the growing importance of the renewables sector, Aberdeen harbour has invested heavily in the creation of stronger, deeper quays and additional operational space to ensure that we have the facilities required to accommodate cargo of this nature.
“The turbine shipments are a testament to the continued development of the port’s infrastructure and we are confident the harbour is well placed to play a significant role in attracting future business from the onshore wind sector, the offshore wind, wave and tidal sectors too.”