Wind farm construction: why temporary energy planning should start early
Introduction
A wind farm may ultimately generate power, but significant amounts of reliable energy are needed long before the first turbine begins exporting electricity.
From site compounds and enabling works to turbine installation, energisation and commissioning, temporary power supports critical activity throughout the construction programme. Yet it is often treated as a late-stage procurement requirement rather than part of the project strategy.
That creates unnecessary risk.
For project engineers and procurement teams, planning temporary energy requirements early provides greater control over equipment selection, logistics, changing loads and grid connection uncertainty. It also creates more opportunity to design an efficient, scalable solution across the full construction programme, rather than sourcing separate packages reactively as requirements emerge.
Map temporary power requirements against the construction programme
The starting point is not simply how much temporary power the project needs, but where it is required, when it is needed and how demand will change as construction progresses.
Temporary energy requirements can vary significantly between stages. Early works may require power for compounds, welfare facilities and site infrastructure. As construction advances, demand can shift towards crane activity, turbine installation, electrical systems, substations and commissioning equipment.
Mapping these requirements against the programme gives project engineers a clearer view of the likely load profile and helps procurement plan equipment and mobilisation more effectively.
It can also identify periods where requirements overlap. If several activities are expected to run simultaneously, the temporary power system needs sufficient capacity to support them without becoming unnecessarily oversized for the rest of the project.
Early visibility makes it easier to plan for:
- Expected peak and base loads
- Equipment mobilisation and relocation
- Changing hire requirements
- Critical construction and commissioning milestones
- Opportunities to resize or reconfigure equipment as demand changes
The objective is to create enough visibility to design a temporary energy strategy that can adapt with the programme.
Plan for the gap between construction and grid connection
One of the most important variables in wind farm construction is the timing of the permanent grid connection.
Construction, turbine installation and commissioning schedules do not always align neatly with grid availability. If permanent power is delayed, project teams need to understand what work can continue, what systems still require energy and where temporary generation may be needed to bridge the gap.
A temporary power solution arranged in advance can support progress towards energisation rather than becoming an emergency response to a missed grid milestone.
Aggreko supported this type of challenge at a wind farm near Inverness, where a delayed grid connection threatened the commissioning programme. A temporary 33kV high-voltage generation and load-bank package enabled turbine and HV testing to continue while permanent grid power remained unavailable.
The lesson is that grid uncertainty should be factored into temporary energy planning before it begins affecting the programme.
For projects where energisation dates are critical, procurement and engineering teams should understand the available contingency options before they are needed.