Giant blades for a turbine were being transported to the Nuttby Mountain wind farm this week. (CBC)

Nova Scotia Power's plan to generate power from five new wind farms by the end of 2010 took a step forward this week at the 45-megawatt farm under construction on Nuttby Mountain, near Truro.

The parts to build one turbine have been arriving on Nuttby Mountain every day this past week. Each blade is nearly 40 meters in length, along with the towers that will hold them. In all, 22 turbines will be built on the site.

"Right now, the site is very busy," said environmental engineer Debra MacLellan, who is the project manager.

"We have roadwork taking place, we're pouring foundations, we're getting turbine deliveries, a pre-installation crew is on site. So there is a lot of different activities."

Each of the towers will sit on a huge base, and it takes a full day just to pour the concrete. That concrete is made from a waste product from coal burning.

"For each one of the turbine foundations, there's about 40 tonnes of fly ash that's being produced at our Trenton thermal generating station," MacLellan said. "And instead of that fly ash going into the landfill, we're actually using it as part of the concrete mixture."

Nova Scotia Power took over the $120 million project after the original developers had trouble raising the money to develop the wind farm.

Since last December a lot of work has taken place on the nearly 400-acre site. The company has built 13 kilometres of roads and power lines, and 80 workers are now on site.

Nuttby Mountain was chosen for an obvious reason.

"It's actually the highest point on mainland Nova Scotia," MacLellan said. "There was wind data collected at the site and modeled, and this is a very good site to install wind turbines."

Nova Scotia Power is also using the project to help train power line workers, she said.

"The lines aren't energized at this point. It gives them a real good opportunity and I believe we have 10 apprentices on this site that are getting some valuable work experience," MacLellan said.

Once its up and running, the project could provide enough electricity to heat 14,000 homes. The first power is expected by early December.

The Nova Scotia government has ordered NSPI to generate five per cent of its electricity from renewable sources next year, rising to 20 per cent in four years.