Turbine Suffers Damage at Vineyard Wind Offshore Wind Farm

July 16, 2024, by Adnan Memija

NOTE: The article was updated on 19 July with more information about the GE Vernova turbine blade incident at the Vineyard Wind project.

A turbine blade at the Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind farm in the US has been damaged, leading to an investigation by the blade’s manufacturer, GE Vernova.

Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, said a turbine blade sustained damage on Saturday evening.

The company provided limited information about the extent of the damage but confirmed in a statement that no personnel or third-party contractors were present in the area at the time.

“As part of its permitting, Vineyard Wind has detailed plans to guide its response to incidents such as this. Following those protocols, Vineyard Wind established a safety perimeter, and worked with the U.S. Coast Guard to issue notice to mariners,” said Vineyard Wind.

Located 15 miles (approximately 24 kilometers) off the coast of Massachusetts, the 800 MW offshore wind farm is set to feature 62 GE Vernova’s Haliade-X 13 MW wind turbines, each with a 220-metre rotor and 107-metre blades.

GE, as the project’s turbine and blade manufacturer and installation contractor, will be conducting an analysis into the root cause of the incident, according to Vineyard Wind.

“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,” said the project developer.

Since last year, turbine installation for the project has been ongoing, and the first power was generated in January.

In February, Vineyard Wind delivered approximately 68 MW from five turbines to the grid.

At the end of June, ten turbines delivered more than 136 MW to the electric grid in Massachusetts, making it the largest operating offshore wind project in the US.

Vineyard Wind 1 Becomes Largest Operating Offshore Wind Farm in the US

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Once completed, Vineyard Wind 1 will generate electricity for more than 400,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts.

UPDATE: Remaining Blade Part Falls Off Turbine

On 18 July, Vineyard Wind announced that a “significant part” of the remaining GE Vernova blade came loose from the turbine.

“Maritime crews were onsite overnight preparing to respond to this development, though current weather conditions create a difficult working environment. Despite these challenging weather conditions, a fleet of vessels remains at sea managing the situation and working to remove bulk debris,” said Vineyard Wind.

“We have deployed additional crews to Nantucket Island in anticipation that more debris could wash ashore tonight and tomorrow as we continue to monitor additional coastal communities.”