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Wind Power News: Accidents
See also: Wind Turbine Accident data (worldwide) at Scotland Against Spin
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Hermanville, P.E.I. wind farm a ‘fiasco,’ local group tells MLAs
About $10 million in repairs are due to be carried out at the Hermanville, P.E.I. wind farm after structural damage has rendered six of the 10 turbines at the site inoperable. An Eastern Kings group is calling for an inquiry into costly breakdowns of the Hermanville wind farm, which have left six of 10 wind turbines idle. The Hermanville turbines have been operating at reduced capacity for months due to these breakdowns. The P.E.I. Energy Corporation has estimated repairs to . . . Complete story »
Eksplosionsulykke på stål-fabrik: Fire mænd blev forbrændt. En er død.
[An explosion caused by a welding accident at wind turbine tower manufacturer Welcon in Svindbæk left 4 workers from Portugal burned. One of the men has died, and two are in critical condition] Svindbæk: En af Give-egnens største virksomheder, Welcon A/S på Vejlevej 270 i Svindbæk, blev her til morgen ramt af en alvorlig arbejdsulykke. Fire ansatte er blevet forbrændt. En af dem er kritisk tilskadekommen. Det oplyser vagtchef Steffen Wolf fra Sydøstjyllands Politi. Ifølge avisens oplysninger skulle der være . . . Complete story »
Willmar wind turbine stands idle while awaiting a $95 part
As has been the trend since February, the August wind turbine report presented Monday during the Willmar Municipal Utilities Commission meeting was less than stellar – again foreshadowing the potential demise of wind power in Willmar. Wind turbine number three, which has been causing the most trouble for Willmar Municipal Utilities this year, was available 35.5% of the time in August, according to Facilities and Maintenance Supervisor Kevin Marti. Wind turbine number four was available 61.4% of the time. The total . . . Complete story »
Hermanville, P.E.I., wind farm faced with year-long repairs
One of P.E.I.’s largest wind farms has nearly ground to a halt as six of the 10 towering wind turbines sit idle due to structural damages. The Hermanville wind farm is now faced with significant structural repairs to the tune of $10 million, all to be funded by the P.E.I. government. A statement from the P.E.I. Energy Corporation on Aug. 30 recognized the underperformance of the wind farm, equating it in part to the significant amount of maintenance the farm . . . Complete story »
Scroby Sands wind turbine fire off Norfolk coast
A fire on an offshore wind turbine has self extinguished [sic], its owner has said. A plume of black smoke was seen billowing from the Scroby Sands wind farm, 1.5 miles (2.5km) off the coast of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. HM Coastguard said the alarm was raised at 10:50 BST on Tuesday and that all personnel had been accounted for following an evacuation. RWE, the German company that owns the wind farm, said no-one was on board the turbine when the . . . Complete story »
Flügelschaden brachte gesamtes Windrad zum Kippen
[Damaged blade and remote control failure caused wind to topple turbine] Dass bei der Havarie eines Windrades bei Gnoien für Menschen keine Gefahr bestanden haben soll, ist angesichts der vielen Trümmer im Boden eine gewagte Einschätzung. Als sei im Windpark Dölitz (Landkreis Rostock) nie etwas passiert, drehten sich am Dienstag die Propeller an vier der sechs Windräder wieder wie gewohnt. Allerdings war bereits am Morgen am Rande des abgeernteten Rapsfeldes schwere Technik aufgefahren. Einen Tag nach der Havarie eines Windrades . . . Complete story »
Gnoien: Sturm knickt Windrad ab – Video zeigt Absturz
[A wind turbine was damaged on Monday in a wind energy facility south of Gnoien (Rostock district), presumably caused by a strong gust of wind. A video shows the wind turbine buckling.] Vermutlich verursacht durch eine heftige Windböe ist am Montag in einem Windpark südlich von Gnoien (Landkreis Rostock) ein Windrad beschädigt worden. Ein Video zeigt, wie das Windrad abknickt. In der Nähe von Gnoien (Landkreis Rostock) ist am Montagvormittag ein Windrad in einem Windpark abgeknickt. Wie ein Polizeisprecher sagte, . . . Complete story »
Wind turbine will come down next week
After more than a decade in service, the wind turbine in the northeast corner of campus between the university power plant and CyRide facility will be removed next week. Demolition is slated to conclude by Thursday, Aug. 10. The 160-foot, 100-kilowatt turbine became increasingly unreliable in recent years before it stopped operating last August. Purchase or produce Mark Kruse, director of utility services, said the turbine produced approximately 0.055% of the electricity used on campus, and the revenue it generated . . . Complete story »
Engie probes problems at Latin American wind facilities using Siemens Gamesa turbines
Engie and Siemens Gamesa are investigating issues at two of the former’s wind farms in Latin America involving turbines under scrutiny over technical problems at the manufacturing giant. Catherine MacGregor, during a conference call to discuss latest results, updated analysts on “technical problems that have been experienced by Siemens Gamesa and its 4.X and 5.X onshore turbine platform”. Global developer Engie uses the turbines in question at two wind farms in Latin America, said the CEO. “We have encountered technical . . . Complete story »
6 of 10 turbines out of commission at P.E.I. wind farm, government says
One of P.E.I.’s biggest provincially owned wind farms is operating at less than 40 per cent of its design capacity. The wind farm at Hermanville, near the eastern tip of the Island, came online with 10 turbines at a cost of $60 million in 2014. On Tuesday, the P.E.I. Energy Corporation said only four of those turbines remain functional – with no reason given as to why. “It’s something that needs to be rectified quickly, because it’s standing in the way . . . Complete story »
