Cargo ship collides with turbine at Ørsted's Gode Wind 1 offshore wind farm

What happened

On 24 April 2023 a general cargo ship, later identified as the Antigua-flagged Petra L, collided with a wind turbine at Ørsted's Gode Wind 1 offshore wind farm in the North Sea, about 33 km off the German islands of Juist and Norderney. The vessel sustained a 5 by 3 metre hole in its starboard hull and reported water ingress before continuing to port in Emden, Germany, where German water police began an investigation. Ørsted confirmed its in-house control centre recorded the collision, though the vessel did not make contact with maritime surveillance beforehand. No injuries were reported. The affected turbine was taken out of operation pending further investigation into the cause of the collision.

Contributing factors

The exact cause of the collision had not been determined at the time of reporting; German authorities and other relevant institutions were investigating, including interviewing the cargo ship's crew.

Lessons learned

1. An offshore wind turbine struck by a vessel must be isolated at once to avoid further damage or hazard to shipping.
2. Wind farm control centres must alert maritime authorities when a collision is recorded even if the vessel makes no prior contact.

More lessons on worker safety and safe systems of work, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

• Turbine model and age
• Downtime and cost of repairs
• Exact cause of the collision

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

Source

offshore-energy.biz