Vessel collision at Port of Esbjerg damages nine wind turbine blades
EIR-0256Provisional entry. Confirmed by a single trade-press report that the WTIV Brave Tern collided with another vessel, a crane and a pier at the Port of Esbjerg, damaging nine turbine blades destined for RWE's Thor offshore wind farm; the extent of blade damage, any project delay, and the Danish Maritime Authority's findings are not yet independently confirmed. No further update is scheduled; the entry stays provisional until new information is published.
On 10 June 2026, the wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) Brave Tern, owned by Fred. Olsen Windcarrier, struck Cadeler's vessel Wind Keeper, a shore crane and a pier while manoeuvring in high winds at the Port of Esbjerg, Denmark. The vessel had just completed load-out of nine turbine blades destined for RWE's 1.1GW Thor offshore wind farm, and the collision damaged all nine blades. Local media reported that one person was taken to hospital for a check-up. The Danish Maritime Authority detained the Brave Tern following the incident and inspected both vessels and the port infrastructure for further damage. Each blade is estimated to be worth approximately €3.6m. It remains unclear whether the incident will delay installation work on the Thor wind farm, which began in March 2026 and is scheduled for completion this year.
High winds and poor weather conditions during harbour manoeuvring were cited as contributing to the collision.
- Port manoeuvring of large wind turbine installation vessels in high winds carries collision risk to adjacent vessels, cranes and cargo.
- Pre-departure weather risk assessments and manoeuvring plans should account for wind limits specific to vessel size and load configuration.
- Damage to high-value turbine components during logistics operations can create supply chain and schedule risks independent of the wind farm site itself.
Published 2026-09-07. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.