June 7, 2013
Michigan

DTE Energy fixes broken turbine

By Kate Hessling, Assistant News Editor | Published: Friday, June 7, 2013 | Huron Daily Tribune | michigansthumb.com

SIGEL TOWNSHIP – The turbine blade that broke off in March in DTE Energy’s Thumb Wind Park has been replaced, a spokesman confirmed Thursday.

DTE received an alarm during the early hours of March 11, and later found one of the blades at the Sigel site appeared to be damaged. Part of the blade had fallen off during a low-wind period and was on the ground near the turbine, which is on Parisville Road near Learman Road in Sigel Township. There are 40 turbines in that township, which is one of the three locations in DTE’s Thumb Wind Park.

After the break was discovered, DTE Energy officials and representatives from GE, which is the turbine’s manufacturer, went to the site to investigate the broken blade. GE took the lead on the investigation because the broken blade was part of GE’s equipment, DTE Energy spokesman Scott L. Simons previously told the Tribune.

“We’re going to be meeting with them at the end of June, and they’ll tell us what the root cause was as well as why we don’t have to worry about it happening again,” Simons said Thursday.

Meanwhile, Simons said DTE Energy just topped off construction of its first turbine in the Echo Wind Park in the Elkton area on Wednesday. In that project, DTE plans to construct 70 GE wind turbines this year.

Simons said it was anticipated a second turbine would be topped off – i.e. fully erected – on Thursday.

“So we’re moving right along,” he said.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/06/07/dte-energy-fixes-broken-turbine/