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Company says turbine transport will only cause 'short delays'

News imageOur Footprints Ltd A turbine transport lorry viewed from the side with vehicles queued up behind itOur Footprints Ltd
A last trial run takes place in Moffat this week before the turbines are moved in March

A wind farm firm has offered assurances that its turbine transportation plans should cause nothing more than "short delays" in a south of Scotland town.

A final trial delivery run takes place on Wednesday through Moffat for the Whitelaw Brae scheme near Tweedsmuir.

There were concerns that it could cause the delays and disruption seen in Hawick in 2024 when blade lifters were used to take components to the Pines Burn wind farm.

However, Thrive Renewables said the vehicles it was using bore "no resemblance" to those and were "much less weather dependent".

Thrive Renewables said its transporter vehicle was very different from the one used in Hawick

Over the winter between 2023 and 2024, the Pines Burn project saw 65m (210ft) turbine blades travel through Hawick on striking special blade lifters.

They encountered a string of problems including cancellations due to the weather, a vandal attack and a vehicle breakdown.

Some locals described it as a "logistical nightmare" for everyone nearby.

That prompted fears of similar scenes in Moffat but Thrive Renewables said it was confident that would not be the case.

News imageOur Footprints Ltd A rear view of a turbine transporter lorry with and escort van behind itOur Footprints Ltd
The turbines will be carried flat on the back of the lorries, not tilted at an angle

A spokesperson for the company said: "Further to a successful 'trial run' in 2021, on Wednesday a final trial delivery will take place for Whitelaw Brae wind farm, to check that the vehicles will still be able to negotiate the route to the wind farm.

"It will involve an empty lorry with an extendable trailer and hinged frame, which can easily be retracted in the unlikely event that there are any problems.

"The lorry will come through Moffat around mid-morning before continuing on the A701 to Tweedsmuir."

The actual turbine deliveries will start later in March and should take place under police escort at about 20:30 to 21:00 in the evening to minimise disruption.

"We don't foresee there needing to be any road closures in Moffat," added the spokesperson.

"However, there may be some short delays - perhaps 10 minutes or so - as police hold back traffic whilst the convoy passes through the town.

"The completion of the trial run will confirm this."

The company added it was committed to supporting the local community and was doing so by providing site tracks at the wind farm which would be part of the new River Tweed Trail.

A community benefit fund of £285,000-a-year will also go to the Tweedsmuir Community Council area where the wind farm is located.