The planner: Malte Jans plans heavy-duty transport

He knows the route like the back of his hand. It’s not his first time travelling in the region as he lives only an hour away. From Brunsbüttel port, you take the main road towards Itzehoe. Then take the motorway north. Leave the motorway after 16 kilometres and then the convoy has almost made it. It is a distance of just 50 kilometres, but still a challenge. The largest of the three truck/trailer combinations is 83 metres long.

It goes without saying that this requires careful preparation. Malte and the drivers checked the route in advance and gave it the nod. “It should all work”, says Malte, who works as a project manager in the Wind Power division of Finnish heavy-duty transport company Silvasti. The first trip carrying three blades, each 67 metres long, will leave Brunsbüttel port this evening. In total, 18 of the gigantic wind turbine components are waiting to be transported. So the team will have a lot to do in the coming weeks.

The gigantic blades are now standard components of modern wind turbines. “This is one challenge of my job: the components are getting bigger and bigger”, says Malte.

Malte has also had other homework to do in addition to inspecting the route. He has obtained the necessary permits from the state road construction department and informed the police, who will accompany the convoy. Now, “I have to make sure that everyone is happy in the end”, he says, grinning and nodding towards the drivers chatting next to the trucks. A food truck has now arrived at the port. Malte and the other men go through the trip again over a coffee.

Stay tuned: Our next article will tell you how driver Marko Niinikari transports one of the blades to the wind farm using his Actros L up to 250 tonnes.

Photos: Sebastian Vollmert
Video: Martin Schneider-Lau