BNSF Logistics has announced the successful testing of their new fixtures developed to move wind turbine blades more efficiently via rail and ship. The Blade Runner service is a universal fixture designed for rail and ocean transport to optimise movement of wind components between any two points in the world.
BNSF Logistics teamed up with Energo, an engineering and design company with a long history in the Wind sector. Together, they have developed transport fixtures that will increase efficiency and drive down logistics costs in moving wind components. The fixtures (patent pending) and handling solutions that have been developed will benefit customers for both international and U.S. domestic moves. Using the same technology for ocean, rail, truck and storage will allow blades to move without the need for attached fixtures, which have historically been both expensive and difficult to manage. The universal rail fixtures are designed to handle blades of all sizes including increasingly longer blades inside the clearance windows required, making rail a viable option versus truck. The ocean blade stowage design will allow BNSF Logistics to significantly increase the number of blades that are carried per ship.
