The port hopes this will point the way to it becoming a transit hub for heavy wind turbine parts.

The turbines are destined for the Sopi-Tootsi wind farm in Pärnu County, a project which is not only the largest in the country by area but also marks the first time such turbines of these proportions have been erected in Estonia, ETV news show "Aktuaalne kaamera" (AK) reported Friday.

So far, the port facilities have been able accommodate all the components though there have been some delays experienced in their transit, and the port's capacity may soon be full.

The parts also come from a variety of different areas of the world.

Üllar Raad, CEO of Esteve, the logistics firm involved in the project, told AK: "The core technical components, including the motor and electricity generator, have come from Europe: Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark."

"However, the larger parts, such as the blades, are brought from Indonesia, while we have also received parts from India and China. The towers similarly are from India."

Construction is underway at Tootsi, Pärnumaa, with nearly half of the components for the planned 38 turbines having already arrived in port in Paldiski (over 100 kilometers north of Tootsi).

While no further major wind farms are currently earmarked for construction in Estonia, the port hopes it can be a transit point for similar projects in Latvia and Lithuania, too.

Janek Lillemägi, senior project manager for wind energy at Enefit Green, said: "The blades will be placed at a height of 170 meters on the tower, giving a total height of 240 meters.

Due to security considerations, the parties involved say they cannot reveal when and via which route the turbine components will begin their journey to Pärnu County, though it is certain that the transportation will take place at night – something which presents a major logistical challenge and will entail long, slow-moving convoys on the route south.

At Paldiski itself, next year, a new, 10-hectare quay intended for servicing offshore wind farms is to be completed.

According to Üllar Raad, the difference in size between onshore and offshore turbines is colossal.

Offshore wind farm turbine blades are nearly double the dimensions of their onshore counterparts at up to1 50 meters, while blades of up to 200 meters in length are likely to arrive in due course, Raad said.

A wind turbine tower weighs around 100 tonnes, and, again, towers of three times that mass may be developed in future.

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