The 6.5-metre-wide machine looks like a giant jet engine and, a month after arriving in Port Melbourne, is nearly ready to begin its five-day journey through the south-west.

The escorted convoy, to be pulled by three prime movers and pushed by two more, will leave the port at 10pm on Saturday night, according to Origin Energy's transport schedule, released to The Standard yesterday.

The convoy is the first of six that are destined for the Connewarren Lane site, where construction of the $640-million first stage of the gas-fired power plant is under way.

Another turbine is on its way from Europe and both require their own 317-tonne generator.

Each part needs its own "mega-lift" load to reach the power station site and will have a top speed of 30kmh. The convoy will travel mostly at night to avoid traffic, dwarfing buildings in many south-west towns, including Winchelsea, Colac, Camperdown and Noorat.

The turbine is expected to roll into the power station site about midday on Thursday next week.

Origin Energy and building contractor Bilfinger Berger have been in talks with VicRoads and other authorities for several months to choose the best route to take.

The turbine will travel along the Princes Highway to Werribee and use the Geelong Ring Road to reconnect with the highway on its trip to Winchelsea, where it will arrive early on Tuesday morning.

From there it will travel on the Birregurra Road bypass, through Colac before reaching Camperdown at 5am on Wednesday

The convoy will spend Wednesday parked on the Princes Highway, just before the Mackinnon's Bridge-Noorat Road, before completing the last leg into Mortlake on Thursday morning.

VicRoads has advised south-west motorists to expect delays on the following roads during the operation: Princes Highway, Birregurra Road, Warncoort-Birregurra Road, Mackinnon's Bridge-Noorat Road, Terang-Mortlake Road, Hamilton Highway and Connewarren Lane.

for the massive haulage task.

It is understood some intersections may have to be modified and bridges reinforced to allow the trucks to pass through the region.

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