A strong partnership has held the French Capelle Group and the Faymonville Group together for many years and is being constantly extended and strengthened by the delivery of the latest, innovative transport technology. A new chapter now followed here.
The company Augizeau Transports Exceptionnels, part of the Capelle Group, recently accomplished an impressive premiere: the first transportation of V163 rotor blades in France for Vestas. In doing so, its new BladeMAX1000 from Cometto was used for the first time – a milestone for the French heavy duty transport sector and a strong signal for the wind energy industry.
The extremely high-performance blade lifter from Cometto made it possible to move the largest rotor blades in France so far on the demanding route between Chablis and Vézannes in the east of the country. This premiere strengthens the position of the Capelle Group in the French wind energy market and at the same time opens new prospects on a European level.
A milestone for France and Europe
“We can now use this equipment throughout Europe. Thanks to the blade lifter, we can continue to give our customers close support and meet their growing development needs. The BladeMAX1000 allows us to safely transport even the largest XXL rotor blades with a tilt angle of up to 60 degrees, as well as rotation through 360 degrees. We are thus optimally prepared for the requirements and will satisfy the ambitions of the developers and wind turbine operators,” underlines Coralyne Droz, Head of the Wind Power Department at Augizeau. These properties particularly came into effect when the rotor blades were making their way through the region’s forests and villages whilst pointing up at an angle.
Alongside the 81-metre-long blades, hubs, towers and other components were delivered via individual routes from the ports of Montoir and Radicatel – an overall logistical concept, which combined preparation, experience and the latest technology. The project ultimately comprises three wind turbine generators – two V163s and one V150 – with a total output of 13.2 megawatts, enough to supply around 14,000 households with power. On this project, Augizeau Transports Exceptionnels makes its mark with innovation, precision and with the BladeMAX1000 as a symbol for the future of the heavy duty transport sector.
Safety is the top priority
The patented stability control system, besides the load-carrying capacity of 1,000 metre-tonnes, is one of the key elements of the blade lifter produced by Cometto. “It ensures much higher stability in terms of handling. Various sensors collect the data and transmit them to the central control unit, which processes them. All safety-relevant information is constantly monitored,” explains Adrian Zingan, Product Manager at Cometto. The operator receives a signal as soon as critical values are approached. The tolerance is, however, considerably larger than with hitherto known systems. The interaction of electronics, hydraulics and visualisation increases the safety during the centre of gravity shift when moving the blades.
And the Customers expert sheds light on another important aspect. “Clients can also precisely simulate the transportation operations in advance thanks to the Cometto in-house software, COMSO 2.0. Paired with extensive training on the software and naturally on the blade lifter itself, Cometto accordingly not only provides the necessary hardware and software, but also close service and support, which critically contribute towards safe planning and the execution of these special transportation tasks.”
Publication: 11/2025