Tatanka Wind Farm Energy Transmission Project
In late December 2016, due to a severe snow/ice storm, a “line down” notice was issued at the Tatanka Wind Farm in North Dakota. Ward Electric was contacted in late January 2017 with a request for a quick temporary solution that would endure the harsh winter elements of the Dakotas and safely resume power transmission from the wind farm. The permanent line build would be planned during more tolerant weather.
Ward Electric Company responded quickly to the need for power line restoration at Tatanka. There was no power loss to homes or businesses but the wind farm was not delivering generated power due to the downed line. So, reconstructing the line was timely.
Ward Electric dispatched a crew of 26 men to the remote region of North Dakota to build a temporary transmission line. The temporary line extended 4.5 miles and carried 230kV of electric power. It was built so the power being generated by the wind farm could be transmitted back to the grid as soon as possible.
The crew from Ward Electric was onsite for 20 days. Working in winter weather in North Dakota was formidable with the prevailing wind and intermittent snow causing bitter cold temperatures.
The ground at Tatanka was frozen compounding already challenging work and safety precautions.
Initial project engineering and construction planning required the crew to dig the holes, frame the poles, set the poles and then string, clip and energize the line. During the temporary rebuild, all track equipment was utilized. The temporary build project duration, from initial notice to energy transmission, was nine-weeks.
Thereafter, the permanent build which commenced in October, standard power line equipment was used; buckets, cranes, diggers, etc. The temporary line was successfully replaced with 4.5 miles of permanent H structure line and the wind farm has since continued to generate power at capacity.
The Tatanka Wind Farm is located in Dickey County and McIntosh County, North Dakota and extends south into McPherson County, South Dakota. It stands in a particularly problematic territory due to the harsh winters and isolated location but is well positioned to harness energy from the powerful wind.
In service since 2008, the Tatanka Wind Farm is the largest wind farm in North and South Dakota, sitting on approximately 14,080 acres and generating 180 MW of renewable energy; enough to power more than 60,000 U.S. homes. It is one of the first large-scale wind power technology projects in the United States.