Vineyard Wind suspends power production following blade failure incident

Blade failure incident isaw fragements wash ashore on Nantucket beaches, [Photo: Town of Nantucket]

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

“Following the July 13, 2024, blade failure incident at Vineyard Wind, BSEE has issued a Suspension Order to Vineyard Wind to cease power production from all its wind turbine generators until it can be determined whether the blade failure affects any other Vineyard Wind turbines,” the agency said. “The Suspension Order suspends power production on the lease area and suspends installation of new wind turbine generator construction: Those operations will remain shut down until the suspension is lifted. BSEE has also issued a Preservation Order to safeguard any evidence that may be relevant to determining the cause of the incident.”

“As of this date, there are no reported injuries or harm to any marine resources or mammals from the incident. BSEE is onsite with Vineyard Wind as investigations are underway. BSEE will conduct an independent assessment to ensure the safety of future offshore renewable energy operations.”

Debris clean up efforts have been ongoing since the blade failure incident was reported and, today, the Town of Nantucket reported all south shore beaches have been reopened for swimming and recreational activities after extensive debris recovery efforts.”

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 incident saying, “no personnel or third parties were in the vicinity of the turbine at the time, and all employees of Vineyard Wind and its contractors are safe and secure. As part of its permitting, Vineyard Wind has detailed plans to guide its response to incidents such as this. Following thos protocols, Vineyard Wind established a safety perimeter, and worked with the U.S. Coast Guard to issue notice to mariners. GE, as the project’s turbine and blade manufacturer and installation contractor, will now be conducting the analysis into the root cause of the incident. As that analysis takes place, Vineyard Wind will continue working 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, as of Wednesday morning, Vineyard Wind and its crews, in coordinating with Nantucket officials including the Nantucket Police Department, the Nantucket Land Bank, and the Nantucket Harbormaster, have removed approximately 17 cubic yards of debris, enough to fill more than six truckloads, and several larger pieces that washed ashore. Cleanup efforts will continue Wednesday and throughout the week as necessary until all debris is removed. On Wednesday, Vineyard Wind will increase its beach patrols on island to 35 employees and contractors.

“Vineyard Wind is making progress at reducing debris and is observing less material washing ashore, and the Nantucket Police Chief has reopened the beaches to swimming.”

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

The company has contracted Robert B. Our, its local construction firm, and National Resource Corporation, an emergency response contractor, to lead cleanup operations.

With U.S. offshore wind still in its infancy, turbine blade failure incidents will inevitably get a lot of media attention and will be seized on by those opposed to offshore wind development. Worldwide, though, such incidents, while comparatively infrequent, are by no means unknown and a scholarly paper published in 2022 discusses the mechanisms involved and puts the issue in perspective.

You can access it HERE.