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Wind (onshore)GermanyEIR-0917

Enercon E126 blade break in Germany prompts fleet-wide turbine monitoring

2013Published 16 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantMechanical7.5 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 7 other entries (being named is not a finding of fault)
Where
Schneebergerhof wind farm, Rhineland-Palatinate, south-west Germany
Operator
Juwi
Manufacturer
Enercon
What
Blade snapped on E126 7.5MW turbine
Cause
Not determined, blade remnant too badly damaged

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

What happened

A blade snapped on an Enercon E126 7.5MW turbine at the Schneebergerhof wind farm in Rhineland-Palatinate, south-west Germany, in December, reported by Wind Power Monthly in May 2014 as having occurred the previous December. The broken blade was found approximately 40 metres from the turbine. Juwi, which operates the wind farm, said that following intensive investigations Enercon could not determine the cause because the remnant of the blade was too badly damaged.

At the time of the break Enercon said it had checked all similar machines as a precaution and no irregularities had been detected. Enercon subsequently fitted a new sensor system to all 56 installed E126 turbines, described as detecting incipient damage and sending a notification to Enercon and, for Juwi-owned turbines, to the control centre in Woerrstadt, so operators can take evasive action. The repaired turbine was reported to be operating again and was to be re-inspected after a certain period.

Contributing factors

The root cause of the blade break could not be established because the remnant of the blade was too badly damaged for analysis. The E126 uses segmented steel-composite hybrid blades.

Lessons learned

  1. A blade snap on an E126 turbine sends debris 40 metres, so operators must fit sensors that detect early damage and allow remote isolation.
  2. When root cause analysis fails due to damage, check every similar turbine in the fleet as a precaution.
  3. Segmented steel-composite blades on E126 turbines need structural monitoring that alerts the control centre before failure.

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

Not yet known

  • Exact cause of the blade break
  • Downtime after the repair
  • Cost of damage and monitoring retrofit

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

Source

Windpower Monthly (windpowermonthly.com)

Site page: Schneebergerhof wind farm (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 Germany, by year, free with a credit (PNG).

Wind (onshore) incidents in Germany: 24 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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