Aug 3 2010
BNSF Railway Company has proposed a wind energy hub to be located at the Pasco Industrial Center. The railroad company had recently proposed the setting up of a transload facility situated on Port of Pasco.
The idea as such is to haul the wind turbine components by way of rail from the production sites and then delivering them to Pasco for truck loading meant for shipment to wind energy farm facilities situated within 150 miles.
The Pasco transloading center is likely to be one among the 20 in the network of BNSF. The company, based in Fort Worth, Texas, strongly believes that such centers facilitate cheap as well as efficient transportation of huge wind farm components such as blades, hubs, towers and nacelles, which are the housing meant for protecting drive trains, generators and gearboxes.
Seven out of BNSF’s proposed 20 centers are currently in service. According to industry estimates, the logistics and transportation costs generally add up to the cost of a wind turbine by about 10% to 25%. Therefore, these transloading centers serve as a boon for wind turbine developers and manufacturers alike in today’s ever growing wind market.