Aging turbine collapses at Jaunmiki wind park in Latvia
Apr 2026Published 7 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- Jaunmiki wind park, Bunkas parish, Latvia
- Operator
- SIA Jaunmiki
- What
- One turbine collapsed on 26 April 2026
- Cause
- Under investigation
- Outcome
- Power supply cut and cleanup began same day
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): SIA Jaunmiki
What happened
On 26 April 2026, one of five wind turbines at the Jaunmiki wind park in Bunkas parish, Latvia, collapsed. The wind park is operated and owned by SIA Jaunmiki. The turbine, manufactured in the 1990s, had not produced electricity for three years due to unresolved technical issues. The grid operator first reported a power outage in the area at around 8am, and by midday SIA Jaunmiki confirmed a turbine had fallen.
Power supply to the site was cut immediately and cleanup began the same day. The owner said the turbine most likely collapsed due to strong winds and that there were no suspicions of foul play, though the exact cause remains under investigation. Following the incident, Latvia's Climate and Energy Minister ordered urgent inspections of all older wind turbines nationwide, particularly those no longer generating electricity.
Contributing factors
The turbine was manufactured in the 1990s and had been non-operational for three years due to technical faults that would have required significant investment to fix. Strong winds are suspected as a contributing cause of the collapse. SIA Jaunmiki had reportedly been planning to sell the wind park rather than repair it, with a sale agreement anticipated for May.
Lessons learned
- An idle turbine from the 1990s still needs inspection because it collapsed after three years without power generation.
- Strong winds can bring down an aging idle turbine, so operators must check structural integrity before leaving units standing.
More lessons on structural integrity and turbines, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Exact cause of the collapse
- Turbine model and manufacturer
- Cost of damage and cleanup
- Duration of site downtime
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Published 2026-09-07. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
