Mesalands gets equipment donation from TorcUP, Inc. with first sign of construction

On the same day that pre-construction soil core samples were being taken from the site where Mesalands Community College will erect its 1.5 MW GE turbine, a donation of tools from TorcUP, Inc was being unpacked by Tracy Rascoe, Director of Wind Energy Technology at Mesalands.
“This is a great day for the College’s North American Wind Research and Training Center!” said Rascoe. “We have the first signs of activity in putting up our turbine, and we received a great donation of valuable tools for our program.”
Included in the set of tools is an EP 1000 Electric Pump with 15’ of hose for hydraulic wrenches, a TU-3 Continuous Ratchet Hydraulic Wrench and Socket, a TorcUP TX-4 Continuous Ratchet “Ultra” Low Clearance Drive Cylinder and Ratchet Link, a TX-4 Reaction Paddle, and a Desktop Demo Bolting Stand having a combined retail value of approximately $15,000.
“Because we are a not-for-profit institution, donations of this type are extremely valuable to us and are received with much appreciation,” said Rascoe.
“It’s going to help the country as a whole as well as the College, and we are more than happy to contribute to the College with this donation,” said Ms. Tracey Anne Hoell, Marketing Manager at TorcUP, Inc.
Meanwhile, outside workers from Apex Geoscience were on Mesalands Community College’s campus taking soil core samples at the site where the North American Wind Research and Training Center (NAWRTC) turbine will be erected by Brandon Reid Construction, Inc, of Clovis New Mexico. Brandon Reid Construction is the apparent winning bidder for the erection of the College’s 1.5 MW General Electric wind turbine to be erected this fall.
“They will drill down 50’ to find out what soil conditions we will be working with as we construct the foundation for the turbine tower,” said Jim Morgan, Director of Technology at Mesalands.
Soil makeup will determine certain aspects of the tower’s foundation and how it must be built to withstand the tower’s weight and pressures of the wind.
“We have no prior commitments at this time and have absolutely no conflicts that will keep us from completing this project on schedule,” said Brandon Reid in a letter to Mesalands.
Additional information about Mesalands and NAWRTC can be obtained at 911 South Tenth Street in Tucumcari, or at (575) 461-4413, or on the Web at www.mesalands.edu/wind.


Photo caption:
Tracy Rascoe is all smiles about North American Wind Research and Training Center’s (NAWRTC) donation of tools from TorcUP, Inc.