November 30, 2012
Illinois

Turbine blade breaks off; Farm not yet at full operation

BY BRIAN L. HUCHEL | Commercial-News | November 30, 2012 | commercial-news.com

DANVILLE – Invenergy LLC officials are investigating what caused a blade to break on a turbine in the California Ridge Wind project site.

The blade broke on a turbine near the intersection of Illinois Route 49 and County Road 2700N, according to a statement released by the company. The broken blade took place on Wednesday.

The California Ridge Wind project consists of as many as 134 wind turbines, 104 of which will be in Vermilion County. The project covers 23,000 acres of private land in Vermilion County.

According to Invenergy, the turbine automatically ceased operation – as it is designed to do. No injuries were reported.

“As a company that prides itself on the safe operations of our wind farms across the country, we will determine exactly what occurred in this particular situation,” according to the company statement.

The incident comes toward the end of the project, which is expected to be fully operational by the end of the year.

Invenergy indicated the wind farm, at this point, has not yet commenced full commercial operations. Turbines, however, are operating and supply test power to the grid.

Energy produced from the turbines will be purchased by the Tennessee Valley Authority through a long-term purchase agreement

California Ridge Wind was the first wind farm to begin construction in Vermilion County. The wind farm starts along County Road 2150N just north of Newtown in Pilot Township and stretches north and west to just across the line into Compromise and Ogden townships in Champaign County.

The company confirmed earlier this year that it is considering adding a second phase to the project. No final decisions have been announced.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/11/30/turbine-blade-breaks-off-farm-not-yet-at-full-operation/