Transportation Problem Challenge in Wind Energy Production

SUMMARY:- 

Transportation challenges are giving some serious problems to wind energy and farm development. This particular issue was discussed at length in wind power conference 2010 held in USA. Especially the growing size of wind turbines and components are providing difficulties to transporters. The conference was addressed by experts from all sectors of transportation like roadways’ railways and waterways.

The key issues discussed were:

1   1. The sizes and scale of the wind turbines are posing a big problem for truckers to move them around.
2. Another big problem is a highly fragmented regulatory system for roads where each state has different type of rules’ taxation and routes for extra large vehicles. This creates a high confusion and extra cost on transportation.
3. Railways and water ways are cost effective in transporting big components and turbines where size will not be much of a problem but they cannot reach to last mile of transportation and hear only roadways are needed to do the job.
4. Because of these problems wind energy investors and industry are choosing places with more connectivity from water ways and railways even though a hinterland place could have been more suitable for the project. This is causing a skewed growth of industry and revenue losses to states without these modes of transportation.

After the discussion a few points were came in light like with growing wind industry the super load permits are increasing rapidly and each state has to cooperate to make a common policy to help industry. There are other roadblocks too like overheads and load limits which need to be negotiated. The routes permissions need to be easier as current routes for heavy loads are increasing the total kilometres travelled highly.

The transportation industry is also facing problem of aging workforce which need to be addressed by training new employees’ better pay scales and good working conditions.

The railways are not under jurisdiction of state legislature so they don’t get affected by different state laws which are a benefit to them over roads but the growing size is a concern so the industry is demanding a joint development of new carriages with shapes more in tune with the requirement of industry. The waterways have a clear edge over others when it comes to hauling huge size and shapes and they are definitely cost effective over others but the problem with them is there reach ability is only to areas where inland water ways are developed which currently in USA is only 40 % utilized of total potential. [Read about Customer Relationship Management Assignment]

The industry veterans are insisting on advance planning for component transportation heavily. According to them advance planning is the only way to tackle the problem and keep the industry competitive and sufficient in nature. According to them the planning about logistics should start from the moment a site is considered for wind farm and its cost and feasibility study must be done well in advance to address any future problems.

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