The spectacular blade failure on a Siemens Gamesa turbine at the Anholt wind farm off Denmark’s east coast this month is a prelude to more such incidents as the global fleet of early-generation offshore turbines age, believes Fraser McLachlan, CEO of renewable energy insurer GCube.
The 3.6MW machine that abruptly shed its rotor at the Orsted North Sea development was installed almost a decade ago, making it “in that age-span where these sort of things occasionally do happen”, he told Recharge, adding that this vintage of offshore wind turbine was marinised technology already in use onshore, where turbine collapses are “not uncommon”.
