December 29, 2014
Netherlands

Nuon probes Lely blades loss

29/12/2014 renews.biz

Lely-wind-turbine-damage-credit-Nuon

Nuon has shut down the four-turbine Lely nearshore wind farm in the Netherlands after the rotor head and blades fell off one of its Nedwind N40/500 machines.

A probe into the 26 December incident at the project near Medemblik was scheduled for Saturday but postponed due to bad weather. Investigators were expected to return today.

The hub and rotors from the twin-bladed turbine are lying around a metre beneath the water’s surface and the area has been marked with buoys so that there is no danger to shipping, Nuon said.

A spokeswoman added: “The turbines were not turning when this happened but the remaining three turbines are set (at) stop as a precaution.”

She said “at this stage it is not appropriate” to speculate further on the causes of the incident. “First we have to wait for the outcome of the investigation.”

The Lely facility is sited around 750 metres from shore on the IJsselmeer. It was commissioned in 1994 and its 60-metre turbines sit atop monopile foundations in waters between five and 10 metres deep.

Dutch manufacturer Nedwind was acquired by NEG Micon in the late 1990s. The latter company was subsequently purchased by Vestas.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/12/29/nuon-probes-lely-blades-loss/