One-of-a-kind steel structures designed for Sevilleta Wildlife Refuge

JSW Baytown, renowned for its high-quality, American-made steel, is playing a crucial role in the SunZia project by manufacturing plates and components for 893 transmission pole sections and arms at its facility in Baytown, Texas.

“Using American-made steel underscores the importance of supporting American industry while building the future of our country’s renewable energy,” said Todd Bell, Vice President of Construction at Pattern Energy Group.

The tower arms are designed to be installed in the Sevilleta Wildlife Refuge area, where limited space demands engineering innovation. A narrow 50-foot right-of-way means the towers must support the direct current SunZia transmission line wires as well as a 3-phase distribution line on a series of monopoles—an unprecedented engineering endeavor.

“This is a prime example of how the right people, across engineering, fabrication, transportation, and construction, can come together to overcome almost any challenge.” said Richie Geren, Vice President, Operations at Quanta Services.

From Texas, the raw steel embarks on a journey to the SAE tower factory, where a dedicated workforce of 370 workers transform it into the uniquely designed structures for SunZia.

In September, key SAE employees visited the Kiva yard, located just north of the Sevilleta Wildlife Refuge, to conduct a fit-up test and confirm the compatibility of the specialized arms with the towers. Following that site visit, Pattern leadership visited SAE Towers for an in-depth review of manufacturing and quality processes, and the schedule for successful delivery of the remaining components.

“It’s a big project, and meeting the people who are so deeply invested in crafting these structures helps everyone feel more connected to the scale of this project,” said David Janssen, Project Director for Engineering & Construction at Pattern Energy.

Now midway through the tower delivery process to SunZia, these towers are being transported to site by TG Mercer, a Quanta company. Hundreds of truckers are involved in the complex logistics, ensuring that the structures arrive on-site as planned.

“We want all the workers to understand how critical their roles are to this project’s success,” said Janssen. “This represents not just a monumental step forward for renewable infrastructure but also a testament to the power of collaboration on large-scale projects.”