Nacelle fire at Rhede wind farm prompts Enercon investigation
EIR-0808On 12 October 2018 a fire broke out in the nacelle of an Enercon E-66 turbine at the 42MW Rhede wind farm in Lower Saxony, Germany. The affected turbine, rated at 1.8MW, had been operational since 2001. No injuries were reported as a result of the incident. Enercon, which services all turbines at the Rhede project, confirmed it was investigating the cause of the fire. At the time of reporting, the cause remained unknown and the investigation was ongoing. No further details were provided regarding the extent of damage to the turbine or the wider wind farm, nor on any operational impact to the remaining turbines at the site.
Not reported. The cause of the fire had not been determined at the time of publication.
- Nacelle fires can occur in turbines of any age, including units that have been in service for over a decade.
- Prompt manufacturer investigation supports identification of root causes and informs fleet-wide maintenance responses.
- Clear public communication on preliminary findings, even when a cause is not yet known, helps maintain transparency with stakeholders and other operators of similar turbine models.
Published 2026-09-15. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.