Blade failure on Vestas 15MW turbine at He Dreiht offshore wind farm
EIR-0730On 22 July 2026 a blade failure was detected on one of the Vestas V236-15 turbines at EnBW's 960MW He Dreiht offshore wind farm in the German North Sea, which is currently under construction. EnBW said the relevant authorities were notified immediately. Vestas said it has initiated a root cause investigation together with the customer and activities to contain environmental impact. Both companies confirmed there were no injuries and that all plant personnel were safe, with the site secured. The impact on the turbine is being assessed jointly by EnBW and Vestas, and the exact cause of the failure and the course of remedial action are under investigation. The wind farm, which achieved first power in November 2025, is intended to feature 64 of the 15MW turbines and EnBW aims to commission the project during summer 2026.
Not reported; the exact cause of the blade failure is under investigation by Vestas and EnBW.
- Blade failures can occur even on newly introduced turbine platforms during the construction and commissioning phase, underlining the value of close monitoring during early deployment of new models.
- Prompt notification of relevant authorities and public transparency about personnel safety can help manage the response to an unexpected structural failure.
- Joint root cause investigations between turbine supplier and developer, including assessment of environmental containment, are an important step before resuming installation or commissioning activities.
Published 2026-09-15. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.