Vineyard Wind Commences Debris Recovery Following Turbine Blade Incident

July 17, 2024, by Adnan Memija

Following a blade damage incident that took place on 13 July at its 800 MW offshore wind project in Massachusetts, Vineyard Wind has revealed that it is mobilising debris recovery teams on Nantucket.

Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Iberdrola’s US subsidiary Avangrid and Denmark’s Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), announced on 16 July that it will deploy trained individuals to walk the southern-facing beaches of the island for the recovery of debris. Patrol teams will inspect the areas in the morning and evening.

Teams will visit Miacomet Beach and the Southeastern tip of Nantucket, including Nobadeer Beach, Madequecham Beach, Pebble Beach, Tom Nevers Beach, Low Beach, and Sconset Beach, or other areas where debris may wash ashore.

So far, Vineyard Wind recovered three large fragments and will continue to monitor the offshore area for any floating debris with aerial overflights and vessel patrols, the company said.

The debris consists of non-toxic fiberglass fragments ranging in size from small pieces to large sections, typically green or white in colour, according to Vineyard Wind.

“Any potential debris washing ashore will be pieces 1 square foot or less, which should only be picked up and collected by patrol teams,” said the developer.

In addition to deploying two teams of four individuals, Vineyard Wind said it remains focused on ensuring the safety of personnel and mariners in the offshore area and continues to work with the US Coast Guard to maintain a safety zone of 500 metres around the impacted turbine offshore.

To remind, a turbine blade at the Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind farm was damaged on Saturday evening. The company confirmed in a statement that no personnel or third-party contractors were present in the area at the time.

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

A GE Vernova Spokesperson said: “On July 13, a single turbine at the Vineyard Wind offshore wind farm experienced an isolated blade event. No injuries occurred, and GE Vernova’s Wind Fleet Performance Management team have initiated our investigation protocols into the event in coordination with our customer.”