Vineyard Wind stops power production after rotor blade failure

Following the July 13 failure of an offshore wind turbine blade, which left large pieces of debris on the beaches of Nantucket, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has ordered the Vineyard Wind offshore wind farm to cease power production and turbine installation.”

“Following the July 13, 2024 blade failure incident at Vineyard Wind, BSEE issued a stay order requiring Vineyard Wind to cease electricity production from all of its wind turbine generators until it can be determined whether the blade failure also affected other Vineyard Wind turbines,” the agency said. “The stay order suspends electricity production on the leased land and suspends the installation of new wind turbine generators: these operations will remain suspended until the stay is lifted. BSEE has also issued a preservation order to preserve any evidence that may be relevant to determining the cause of the incident.”

“To date, there have been no reports of injuries or damage to marine resources or mammals as a result of the incident. BSEE is on site with Vineyard Wind as investigations continue. BSEE will conduct an independent assessment to ensure the safety of future offshore renewable energy activities.”

Debris cleanup efforts have been ongoing since the blade failure incident was reported, and today the Town of Nantucket announced that all beaches on the South Shore are reopened for swimming and recreational activities following extensive salvage operations.”

On Monday, Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, released an initial statement saying that at the time of the blade failure, “no personnel or third parties were in the vicinity of the turbine and all Vineyard Wind and its contractors’ employees are safe and secure. As part of its permit, Vineyard Wind has detailed plans in place that govern its response to incidents such as this one. Under these protocols, Vineyard Wind established a containment perimeter and worked with the U.S. Coast Guard to alert mariners. GE, the manufacturer and installer of the project’s turbine and blades, will now conduct the root cause analysis of the incident. While that analysis takes place, Vineyard Wind will continue to work with federal, state, tribal and local stakeholders to ensure the health and safety of its workforce, mariners and the environment.”

In a subsequent statement released today, the company said that by Wednesday morning, in coordination with Nantucket authorities, including Nantucket Police, Nantucket Land Bank and the Nantucket Harbormaster, Vineyard Wind and its crews had removed approximately 17 cubic yards of debris, enough to fill more than six truckloads, as well as several larger pieces that washed ashore. Cleanup efforts will continue Wednesday and, if necessary, throughout the week until all debris is removed. On Wednesday, Vineyard Wind will increase its beach patrols on the island to 35 employees and contractors.

“Vineyard Wind is making progress in reducing trash and seeing less material washing ashore. Additionally, the Nantucket Police Chief has reopened the beaches for swimming.”

“We are grateful to the Town of Nantucket, Nantucket Police, Nantucket Land Bank, Nantucket Harbormaster and the entire island community for working to clean up Nantucket’s beaches as quickly as possible,” said Klaus Moeller, CEO of Vineyard Wind. “We are making progress in efforts to recover the debris and are mobilizing even more resources on the island to move the cleanup forward as quickly as possible. We continue to ask the public to avoid handling the debris, but to report any debris sightings to Vineyard Wind or town officials for recovery. The public can trust that we will be here as long as it takes to get the job done and ensure the beaches are cleaned.”

The company has hired its local construction company, Robert B. Our, and the National Resource Corporation, an emergency response services provider, to lead the cleanup effort.

Since offshore wind energy is still in its infancy in the US, incidents involving blade failure will inevitably attract a lot of media attention and be picked up by opponents of offshore wind energy development. Globally, such incidents are comparatively rare but by no means unknown, and a scientific article published in 2022 discusses the mechanisms involved and puts the problem into perspective.

You can access it HERE.