UK: Unstable Wind Turbines in Need of Repair

Vattenfall, Swedish wind farm operator, admitted the wind turbines at the Kentish flats wind farm are unstable and need welding work, reported This is Kent.

Workers will need to ship a total of 180 steel brackets to the wind farm site, where they will need to weld six plates to the base of each wind turbine.

Because the wind turbines are still in the warranty period, the operator will repair them free of charge.

Vattenfall spokesman said: “These remedial works are scheduled during the spring and summer to make use of the offshore weather windows and therefore minimise working downtime. The remedial works are taking place to secure the long-term theoretical lifetime of the foundations.

“The remedial works are required because a small settlement of the grout between the monopile and the transition piece has occurred in the past six to seven years with most of the turbines.

“Vattenfall can confirm that this small settlement in the turbine structure poses no risk to people, the turbines and the environment.“

Kentish Flats offshore wind farm, located approximately 8.5 to 13 km north of Herne Bay and Whitstable in Kent, is comprised of 30 3MW Vestas turbines that are expected to generate more than 280 GWh of green electricity every year, which is equivalent to the total annual electricity need of more than 61,000 UK households.

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Offshore WIND staff, March 27, 2012; Image: vattenfall