Infigen awaits blade-snap report

Gamesa ended all links with the wind farm in 2009

A third-party company retained by Infigen Energy’s US subsidiary will have a report ready in “a couple of weeks” detailing its investigation into why a rotor blade partially snapped off a Gamesa 2MW turbine at the Allegheny Ridge wind farm in Pennsylvania, David Smith, Infigen commercial vice-president, tells Recharge.

The incident occurred during the weekend of 5 January. About two-thirds of the 42.5-metre-long blade fell to the ground near the turbine. No one was injured and no other property damage reported.

As a temporary precaution, Infigen shut down all 40 turbines at the site but now has about 20 back into full operation.

The wind farm was commissioned in 2007 and the turbine in question came off warranty in 2009. The blades, however, were on an extended warranty that expired in 2012, according to Smith.

Infigen, an Australian company, owns and operates…

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