GE Vernova and Vineyard Wind have provided an update on the implementation of their Incident and Response and Action Plan, announced in August.
The plan outlined steps to remove the remainder of the damaged blade on turbine AW-38 at the wind farm, remove any remaining debris, complete environmental studies, implement actions for blade readiness for service and, ultimately, resume turbine installation and operations of the Vineyard Wind 1 project.
With respect to removal of the AW-38 blade involved in the July failure event, GE Vernova plans to undertake several tasks with Resolve Marine, including blade rotations to reduce blade debris, the removal of the hanging portion of the blade, clearing of debris from the platform and addressing seabed debris.
The company says the first three tasks have been completed and the fourth, the removal of seabed debris, began earlier this month. The final task, removal of the root of the blade from the rotor hub, is expected to occur in the coming weeks.
Following the initial assessment of environmental impacts from the blade incident, GE Vernova laid out plans to conduct a more comprehensive analysis. GE Vernova officials provided an update on the environmental assessment to the Town of Nantucket in September, including findings on the chemical composition of blade debris and ongoing efforts to sample the water column, sediment and shellfish. The sampling and analysis work has commenced, and the results are expected to be shared in the coming weeks.
In addition, the plan outlined GE Vernova’s three-stage approach to preparing blades for an anticipated return to service. After implementing quality checks, including the re-examination of 8,300 ultrasound images per blade and physical blade inspections with “crawler” drones, GE Vernova intends to remove some blades from the Vineyard Wind farm while strengthening other blades as needed.
Following authorization in mid-August to resume certain activities, eight new towers and nacelles have been installed on the project. Earlier this month, the companies were granted approval to return to installing new blades on turbines at the project once safety and operational conditions are met.
Operations and power production will resume after additional progress is made and requisite approvals are granted.
“We appreciate the commitment our team has shown to this project and the care with which the federal, tribal, state, and local authorities have approached it,” says Vineyard Wind CEO Klaus Moeller.
“The safety of our team, of the surrounding communities and of the local environment has always been at the forefront of everything we do, and we are confident that the quality and safety assessments that have been undertaken over the last three months will make this a better, stronger, and safer project going forward.”
