Second blade snaps at German wind farm with GE turbines: ‘full-speed’ probe underway
Credit: 17 October 2023. By Andrew Lee and Bernd Radowitz. rechargenews.com ~~
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An investigation is underway after a second rotor blade of a GE turbine snapped at a wind farm in Germany.
The blade was left partially broken at the Alfstedt-Ebersdorf wind park in Lower Saxony, said operator Energiekontor. The project uses eight GE 5.3-158 turbines, according to reference information on the project’s planning process available online, which were confirmed to Recharge by the company.
“As a result, plastic parts and, among other things, finer fibres of the rotor blade were distributed to the immediate surroundings. No personal injuries occurred,” said a statement from the wind farm owner.
The company said the turbine was shut down and further measures would follow after the incident, which happened on 14/15 October.
“The cause of the damage is not yet known and is currently being investigated, as is the expected duration for the repair of the damage. The investigations are running at full speed.”
GE said in a statement sent to Recharge:
“A wind turbine blade event incident occurred on October 15, 2023 at the Alfstedt wind farm in Germany. There were no injuries. We are working closely with our customer and local authorities to ensure the safety of the impacted area and determine the root cause of the incident.”
Energiekontor told Recharge another rotor blade of one of the same GE 5.3-158 turbines broke off in September last year. The investigation into the root cause of that accident has not been concluded yet.
The developer said it doesn’t know whether the two rotor blade breaks had the same cause or not. An independent expert is slated to examine the latest accident.
Energiekontor stressed it only recommends restarting all turbines after an independent expert has determined that there is no risk of comparable damage to these machines.
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