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Wind (offshore)GermanyEIR-0730

Blade failure on Vestas 15MW turbine at He Dreiht offshore wind farm

July 2026Published 15 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantMechanical960 MW
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 hiddenThe maker is named in 30 other entries (being named is not a finding of fault)
Where
He Dreiht offshore wind farm, German North Sea
Operator
EnBW
What
Blade failure on Vestas V236-15 turbine
Injuries
None reported
Cause
Under investigation

Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): EnBW, Vestas

What happened

On 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.

Contributing factors

Not reported; the exact cause of the blade failure is under investigation by Vestas and EnBW.

Lessons learned

  1. A blade failure on a Vestas V236-15 turbine during construction requires joint root cause work by supplier and developer before further installation.
  2. Early blade issues on new 15MW platforms during commissioning mean close monitoring is needed before full operation.
  3. Environmental containment steps must start at once after a blade failure at sea to limit spread.

More lessons on structural integrity and turbines, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Exact cause of the blade failure
  • Impact on the turbine
  • Remedial action and downtime
  • Cost of the incident

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

Source

reNEWS (renews.biz)

Site page: He Dreiht wind farm (status, dates and other incidents)

Published 2026-09-15. 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 by year, free with a credit (PNG).

Wind (offshore) incidents in Germany: 6 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 offshore wind incidents.

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