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Wind (onshore)United KingdomEIR-0874

Turbine blade detaches at RWE's Brechfa Forest West wind farm in Wales

Feb 2026Published 16 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantMechanical57.4 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 3 other entries (being named is not a finding of fault)
Where
Brechfa Forest West wind farm, Carmarthenshire, Wales
Operator
RWE
What
Blade detached from Senvion MM92 turbine
Injuries
None reported
Cause
Under investigation

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

What happened

On 25 February 2026 a blade detached from one of the 28 Senvion MM92 turbines at the 57.4MW Brechfa Forest West wind farm in Carmarthenshire, Wales. RWE said its team attended the site after discovering the detachment. The area was empty when the incident occurred and no injuries were reported. As a precaution a 50 metre safety zone was established around the turbine and the fallen blade was removed from site for investigation.

Natural Resources Wales temporarily closed off the area as a precautionary safety measure while the incident is investigated. RWE said a full assessment of the cause and impact of the incident was ongoing and that it was working closely with Natural Resources Wales to ensure safety in the forest area.

Contributing factors

Not reported. The cause of the blade detachment is under investigation.

Lessons learned

  1. After blade detachment on an Senvion MM92 turbine, operators must establish a 50 metre exclusion zone at once because public access areas like forests require immediate isolation.
  2. Blade failure events need rapid removal of the component for investigation, as retention supports root cause analysis and fleet checks on similar models.
  3. Coordination with environmental bodies is essential where turbines stand in shared forest land, to manage temporary closures during investigation.

More lessons on structural integrity and turbines, investigation and fleet-wide checks, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Turbine age and maintenance history
  • Duration of turbine downtime
  • Cost of repairs and lost generation

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

Source

reNEWS (renews.biz)

Site page: Brechfa Forest West (status, dates and other incidents)

Published 2026-09-16. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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Chart to reuse with this story: Wind (onshore) incidents in the United Kingdom, by year, free with a credit (PNG).

Wind (onshore) incidents in the United Kingdom: 48 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.

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