Davorin Jelaca – Ares Group CEO – has highlighted the importance of engineering-led transport solutions in delivering large-scale renewable energy projects.
This follows Ares Group’s recent involvement in moving wind turbine components along a 400km route from Port of Newcastle to Wellington.
Jelaca said the project demonstrated the company’s philosophy of designing the transport solution before any load is moved.
“This project reflects our approach,” he said.
“We don’t just move loads, we engineer the solution first.
“Every movement is the result of detailed planning, route analysis and tailored design work to overcome real project constraints on the ground.”
The biggest transport engineering challenges, according to Jelaca, typically include managing height restrictions, bridge and road limitations and maintaining load stability across lengthy and varied routes.
“We also had to design a solution that would allow repeated movements at scale while staying within strict infrastructure constraints,” he said.
Ares Group worked closely with The Drake Group to develop a customised 5×8 Swingwide trailer for the project.
Jelaca said Ares Group led the engineering and design approach, with modifications made to Drake’s standard trailer configuration to suit the transport task.
“Essential features included the reduced deck dimensions, structural configuration to suit tower sections and flexibility to support repeated high-volume movements,” he said.
Achieving the lowest possible deck height was a key design priority.
“Deck height was critical because it directly impacts overall transport height, avoids larger and more challenging book-end solutions, route access and safety margins,” said Jelaca.
“Keeping the load as low as possible allowed us to navigate infrastructure constraints more efficiently and reduce risk across the full corridor.”
With more than 20 oversize and overmass loads moving each week, Jelaca said logistics coordination requires extensive planning and constant operational oversight.
“It’s a highly coordinated operation driven by planning and real-time control,” he said.
“We manage scheduling, route timing, escort coordination, compliance and daily movement approvals while continuously adjusting to weather, road conditions, road works along the route and site requirements.”
Detailed route engineering assessments were undertaken to evaluate bridges, road geometry, turning paths and overhead clearances, helping determine permit requirements and ensure safe, repeatable movements along the corridor.
Jelaca said trailer customisation is becoming increasingly important as wind turbine components continue to grow in size.
“Standard equipment often cannot meet the increasing size or volumes of modern wind components,” he said.
“Custom-designed transport solutions are now essential to safely and efficiently deliver renewable infrastructure at this scale.”
The project also involved extensive driver preparation, escort coordination and safety planning to manage nearly 900 component movements on public roads.
“Every movement is pre-planned and risk-assessed,” said Jelaca.
“Drivers and escort teams are fully briefed on route conditions, load behaviour and timing. We maintain strict communication and control throughout each movement to ensure safety and compliance at every stage.”
Jelaca said the customised Drake 5×8 Swingwide trailer had performed as intended under operational conditions, supporting the required load configuration and enabling safe, consistent execution of repeated movements.
Ares Group is continuing to expand its engineering capability and invest in specialised transport solutions to support future renewable energy developments.
“Our focus is on designing smarter logistics solutions for future generations of larger wind turbine components, with the engineering capability to match the increasing permitting requirements,” said Jelaca – adding the project reinforced the value of engineering-led transport planning. “By designing the solution first, we’re able to safely deliver complex infrastructure at scale and support Australia’s transition to renewable energy.”
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