Wind turbine collapses at Haltern AV9 wind park in Germany
Sept 2021Published 15 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- Haltern AV9 wind park, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
- Manufacturer
- Nordex
- What
- Nordex N149/4.0-4.5 wind turbine almost completely collapsed
- Injuries
- None reported
- Cause
- Under investigation
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Nordex
What happened
On 29 September 2021, a Nordex N149/4.0-4.5 wind turbine almost completely collapsed at the Haltern AV9 wind park in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The turbine had been installed on a 164 metre hybrid tower in January 2021 and commissioned on 11 March 2021. No one was injured in the incident. Following the collapse, the site was secured and an interdisciplinary team of experts began a root-cause analysis, working with authorities and insurance companies.
As a precaution, Nordex temporarily shut down all turbines of identical configuration, including 22 further units installed or being installed in Germany. Drone footage was used to assess the site before allowing safe access for detailed component analysis, including tower segments and rotor blades. Recovery of the turbine's bottom box was planned to allow analysis of operational data at the time of the incident. At the time of the statement, no cause had been identified and investigations were ongoing in all directions.
Contributing factors
Not reported at the time of the statement; investigations were ongoing into all possible causes.
Lessons learned
- After structural failure, shut down all turbines of identical configuration until the cause is known.
- Secure the site and use drone footage before allowing access for analysis.
- Plan early recovery of the bottom box to analyse operational data.
More lessons on structural integrity and turbines, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Root cause of the collapse
- Duration of downtime
- Cost of the incident
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Published 2026-09-15. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
