Following a months-long investigation, Vestas has revealed why one of its turbines collapsed at an Irish wind farm on March 22.
The V52 850 kW unit fell to the ground at the 7.7 MW Loughderryduff wind farm, and no one was injured during the incident. The project, located in Donegal, was commissioned in 2010 and developed by Wind Prospect.
According to a company spokesperson, Vestas' investigation has found that an error in the turbine's pitch system during high winds is likely to blame.
"As a result, it appears at least one blade failed to pitch out of the wind, leading to an over-speed situation in which a blade struck the tower. These events caused structural damage and the collapse of the turbine," the spokesperson says.
"The turbine has been cleared from the site and is being replaced. Vestas is implementing appropriate technical modifications to help ensure such errors do not recur."
The spokesperson adds that Vestas takes safety "extremely seriously."
