STRATTON – Organizers are expecting a big turnout for tomorrow’s job fair and open house, which will be held at the local community center.
The fair, organized by TransCanada, is scheduled for March 24 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Community Building in the Eustis/Stratton area. The purpose of the event is to update the community on the construction process and explain the different elements of building and operating the wind farm.
While the event is foremost an opportunity to inform the public, there will also be Human Resources representatives from all four of the primary companies involved in the construction process including TransCanada, Reed & Reed, Cianbro and Vestas, who manufactures the turbines themselves. These representatives intend to discuss the potential opportunities for employment with the project and generate a list of qualified, interested people.
Whenever possible, TransCanada intends to utilize local people when their skills match the needs of the project.
While the 25-square-foot, steel-reinforced cement foundations for the Vestas V-90 turbines have been poured, much work still needs to be completed before the project can begin generating power. TransCanada hopes to have 22 turbines, half of the completed project’s 44 turbines, installed by the end of 2009.
|
|
With the remaining pieces of an enormous, 440-ton crane delivered to the site last week, the slow, careful process to assemble the turbines can begin soon. Each of the nine pieces of the turbines, which are 410 feet high from base to tip of the blade, needs to be lifted into place by the crane and secured. Once the four sections of the tower are hoisted up and connected, the hub and generator are installed. Finally, the 145-foot-long, 6.5-ton blades are lifted, hopefully in calm conditions of 8 to 10 mph wind, and attached.
Of course, in addition to the actual turbines, several aspects of the project need further development as well, including road work, transmission line and substation development.
The project is slated for completion in 2010.
Anyone interested in the Kibby project, but can’t attend Tuesday’s open house and job fair, can call 1-877-943-3367 or email kibbywind@transcanada.com.
|
|
