A turbine blade has broken at Australia’s largest wind farm, prompting an investigation by officials. The incident at the southwestern Queensland-based MacIntyre wind farm occurred in late December, about just two months after the 162-turbine project was connected to the power grid.
Renewable energy infrastructure company Acciona developed the wind farm. The company confirmed that the damaged blade remains attached to the turbine. Company officials also stated no injuries were reported.
A spokesperson for Acciona said that the company is working with their turbine supplier, Nordex, to identify the cause of the failure and to determine a safe method for removing the blade.
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“Our investigation team are working with our turbine supplier to review all records specific to the affected wind turbine and blade,” Acciona spokesperson Andrew Tshaikiwsky said. “The investigation and recovery process will take some time to conduct to ensure that gain a thorough understanding of what caused the blade failure.”
Officials established an exclusion zone around the affected turbine. The zone will remain in place until inspections are finished.
This incident in Australia follows another blade failure over the summer at the Vineyard Wind project off the coast of Massachusetts in the United States. In that case, debris from the turbine washed up on nearby beaches for more than a month.
[Jack Aylmer]
A BLADE HAS BROKEN OFF A TURBINE AT AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST WIND FARM.
OFFICIALS ARE NOW INVESTIGATING THE INCIDENT AT THE QUEENSLAND BASED MACINTYRE WIND FARM-
WHICH OCCURRED IN LATE DECEMBER.
TOTALING 162 TURBINES, THE PROJECT HAD BEEN CONNECTED TO THE POWER GRID JUST TWO MONTHS PRIOR.
THE MACINTYRE WIND FARM WAS DEVELOPED BY RENEWABLE ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE COMPANY ACCIONA-
WHICH STATED THE DAMAGED BLADE REMAINS ATTACHED TO THE TURBINE, AND NO INJURIES HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INCIDENT.
A SPOKESPERSON FOR ACCIONA SAID THE COMPANY IS COLLABORATING WITH TURBINE SUPPLIER NORDEX TO IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE BREAKAGE AND DETERMINE A SAFE METHOD FOR REMOVING THE DAMAGED BLADE.
ADDING THAT THE INVESTIGATION AND RECOVERY PROCESS WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO ENSURE A THOROUGH UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT CAUSED THE BLADE FAILURE.
AN EXCLUSION ZONE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AROUND THE AFFECTED TURBINE, AND IT WILL REMAIN IN PLACE UNTIL FURTHER INSPECTIONS ARE COMPLETED.
THIS INCIDENT IN AUSTRALIA COMES AFTER ANOTHER BLADE BREAKAGE IN THE U.S. OVER THE SUMMER-
WHEN A TURBINE FAILURE AT THE VINEYARD WIND FARM OFF THE COAST OF MASSACHUSETTS CAUSED DEBRIS TO WASH UP ONTO NEARBY BEACHES FOR OVER A MONTH.
YOU CAN CHECK OUT MORE OF OUR PREVIOUS REPORTING ON THAT STORY AS WELL AS OTHER NEWS ABOUT RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENTS ON THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP.
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