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Wind (offshore)United KingdomEIR-0447

Fire destroyed turbine at Scroby Sands Offshore Wind Farm in 2023

Aug 2023Published 7 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

MajorThermal / fire
Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?
Figure hidden: shown to subscribersMedium confidence
turbine out of service for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate
From the recordRoot cause hiddenFailed part hidden
Where
Scroby Sands offshore wind farm, 1.5 miles off Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
Operator
RWE Renewables
What
Fire broke out in nacelle of turbine T06
Outcome
Total operational loss of the turbine

Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): RWE Renewables

What happened

On 15 August 2023 a fire broke out in the nacelle of turbine T06 at the Scroby Sands offshore wind farm, situated about 1.5 miles off the coast of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. The blaze produced thick black smoke visible from Lowestoft and other nearby coastal areas as it spread through the nacelle housing the generator. The fire resulted in the total operational loss of the turbine. Two years later, operator RWE Renewables confirmed plans to dismantle the damaged structure, having obtained the necessary marine licences from the Marine Management Organisation and The Crown Estate.

The removal operation, expected to take around 38 days using a jack-up vessel, involves extracting the burned nacelle, blades and upper tower section, with the foundation left untouched for now. Recovered components will be brought ashore at Great Yarmouth for recycling.

Lessons learned

  1. A nacelle fire at an offshore wind turbine can result in total loss of the unit given the difficulty of firefighting access at sea.
  2. Decommissioning a fire-damaged offshore turbine can require extensive licensing processes with regulators such as marine management authorities, extending timelines well beyond the incident itself.

More lessons on structural integrity and turbines, emergency response and public communication, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Cause of the fire
  • Turbine model and age
  • Cost of the damage

This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.

Source

greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk

Site page: Scroby Sands (status, dates and other incidents)

Published 2026-09-07. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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Chart to reuse with this story: Wind (offshore) incidents in the United Kingdom, by year, free with a credit (PNG).

Wind (offshore) incidents in the United Kingdom: 13 entries, with a free alert for the next one.

Wind turbine fires: the counts, the latest entries and a free alert for the next one. Also: wind turbine blade failures and wind turbine nacelle fires.

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