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O’Dwyer Transport Thurles, Tipperary, Make History

O’Dwyer Transport, Littleton, Thurles, Co. Tipperary Make History.

Situated in the picturesque village of Littleton near Thurles, in Co. Tipperary; the family run firm of O’Dwyer Transport & Warehousing Ltd, in the past week has made history, when it facilitated and accommodated the use (for the first time in either the United Kingdom or Ireland) of a towed Voser Wind Turbine Blade-lifting machine.

The Voser Wind Turbine Blade-lifting machine is presently being used to transport massive 45-meter-long Turbine Blades (the longer the blades is, the more the energy that can be generated by the turbine) from Littleton village to the Ballincurry Wind Farm near Killenaule, in Co. Tipperary. This trailer-towed lifting machine is the first of its kind ever to be used here in Ireland and is completely remote controlled, allowing the blade on the trailer to be lifted over trees; hedges; houses and lowered to get under low hanging telephone and electric cables.

Six Gardaí, two in squad cars and four on motorcycles, accompany each load thus guaranteeing complete safety to all road users, while also, for the most part, reducing unnecessary inconvenience to other road users during the 2.5hour period of transportation.

O’Dwyer Transport, who boast a work force of some forty personnel, operating a modern fleet of some 28 DAF Trucks, latter fitted with Moffett mounted forklifts and who are presently storing the German manufactured Wind Turbine Blades; include amongst their valued regular customers Bord Na Mona; Coca-Cola; Hauser etc. and were also actively involved with Electric Picnic and the recent papal visit by Pope Francis.

O’Dwyer Transport & Warehousing Ltd are also short listed (down to the last 5) for the coveted award of “National Haulier of the Year”.

We learned a few lesser known facts about Wind Turbines from Mr Thomas Cooke, (Managing Director) Ballincurry Wind Farm Ltd.

Example: (A) These Wind Turbine blades are not made of metal as they would appear, but are made of fibre-reinforced epoxy or unsaturated polyester.

(B) The blades cannot be carried easily by helicopter, although such rotorcraft are readily available to lift same. The downdraught from the helicopter blades unto the wind turbine blade could cause aerodynamic issues, which in turn could prove to be a danger to both the rotorcraft itself and / or cause serious damage to the actual costly turbine blade.

(C) Wind turbines never have more than 3 blades, since when one blade is in the horizontal position, its resistance to the yaw force is counter-balanced by the two other blades. So, a three-bladed turbine represents the best combination of high rotational speed and minimum stress.

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