environmental statement - Rotherham's Online Application for ...

2.26 Tracks between turbines are required during the operational period of the
wind farm to allow for maintenance operations, particularly the
replacement of turbine/electrical components if required.
Crane Pads
2.27 Two cranes would be required during the erection of each turbine, typically
a 500 to 650 tonne crane and a smaller 100 to 250 tonne tailing crane. To
provide stable, firm ground for cranes to stand on during the installation of
turbines, hard-standing areas would be laid down adjacent to the
foundation. These would be suitable for the outriggers of the respective
cranes, leading to an area of approximately 20m by 40m in total.
Typically, construction of the hard-standing areas would be similar to the
construction of the site tracks, with the top 300mm of topsoil being stripped
and stored adjacent to the sites, with the remaining topsoil removed down
to the hard substrate. Geotextile material would be laid down and stone
laid on top to a depth required for adequate bearing of the crane
outriggers. The crushed stone would be sourced from local quarries.
Following completion of the construction works, the crane hardstandings
shall be left in-situ to allow any extraordinary maintenance such as major
component replacement, and to also support cranes during eventual
decommissioning. Following the commissioning of the site, however, the
pads would be reinstated with the original topsoil replaced over the load
bearing material and allowed to regenerate naturally. Drawing
HJB/681/PA11 illustrates an indicative crane pad and its relationship to a
turbine.
On-Site Cabling
2.28 The wind turbines to be used at the Penny Hill site would typically produce
electricity at 690-1000 Volts. This would pass through a transformer
typically located within the nacelle, the base of the tower or in a cabinet
outside the tower, before being connected into the wind farm underground
collection circuitry.
2.29 The wind turbines would be connected to the on-site metering and control
building and substation via 11 kV or 33kV underground cables placed in
trenches. The cables would generally follow the route of the on-site tracks
as described above. The route would be marked above ground with
clearly identified posts, spaced at suitable intervals along the length. In all
cases, the cables would be buried to a depth of approximately 1m.
Reinstatement would be in line with the general methods described
previously (i.e. re-laying the previously stripped subsoil and topsoil over
the top of the cable trench).
2.30 Separate communication cables and earth tapes would also be laid in the
trench. Cables would be laid in sand for protection, with warning
tapes/boards placed above high voltage cables to mitigate the risk of
unintentional excavation. Where trenches are located on downhill
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Penny Hill Wind Farm
Environmental Statement