Blades for 7 New Wind Turbines to Move from Quonset to Johnston
By: Tim Studebaker
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QUONSET, R.I. (WLNE) – A new group of wind turbines is coming to Johnston in the next few months. Down in Quonset, the first of the parts have started to arrive from Germany.
Green Development Founder & Chairman Mark DePasquale says, “It’s one of the largest onshore wind projects going. They’re 3 megawatt VENSYS turbines.”
DePasquale tells us each turbine can power roughly 900 to 1100 homes using the latest technology.
DePasquale says, “They have fins on them, which is a new design that’s out that actually makes them quieter.”
The turbines will each be built on land leased from various landowners.
DePasquale says, “So there’s 7 individual sites. They’re all around the landfill.”
The town will also benefit, getting tax money and a scholarship fund from the company. But, before any of that can happen, the parts have to make their way from Quonset to Johnston.
Each of the blades is 200 feet long and weighs 35,000 pounds. There are 21 of them in total. They’ll be moved from Quonset up to Johnston one by one, each with its own State Police escort.
DePasquale says, “We’ll be leaving about 3:00 in the morning. It takes about an hour and 15 minutes to get to the Johnston site.”
They’ll start this Friday, taking 3 blades each night up Route 4, to 95, onto 295, and into Johnston. They plan to be off the road by 5:00 each morning.
DePasquale says, “They’ll travel 45-50 miles an hour on the highway.”
The company expects to start assembling the turbines in late October or early November.
© WLNE-TV / ABC6 2018
