January 8, 2015
Ireland
Ireland
A twenty-five metre wind turbine blade has fallen to the ground
8 January 2015 | www.thejournal.ie
8 January 2015 | www.thejournal.ie
A blade has come detached from a giant wind turbine and fallen to the ground.
The incident occurred at the Turslliagh wind farm near Tralee, Co Kerry.
The wind farm is made up of 23 turbines built by Danish manufacturer Vestas and operated by Saorgus Energy.
The V47 model of turbine stands at over 40 metres in height and has a rotary diameter of 47 metres.
This morning it was confirmed in Renews – a specialist renewable energy publication – that an investigation had been initiated by Vestas into the incident.
On this, it was quoted as saying, “One blade on a V47 turbine detached from the turbine and fell to the ground… no injuries occurred as a result of this incident. The respective turbine was shut down.”
The company stated that all the other wind turbines involved in the project were operating normally and that it was working to determine the cause of the incident.
There has previously been some controversy around the installation of wind turbines in the north of Kerry – with hundreds of letters being sent to local councillors in opposition to a 10-turbine wind farm near Listowel last year.
This follows the collapse last week of a wind turbine in Co Tyrone – an incident which is being investigated by German manufacturer Nordex.
Saorgus Energy were not able to be reached at time of publication.
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/01/08/a-twenty-five-metre-wind-turbine-blade-has-fallen-to-the-ground/