Vestas turbine nacelle fire at Ardrossan wind farm during storm

A Vestas 2MW wind turbine at the 30MW Ardrossan wind farm in Ayrshire, Scotland, caught fire in its nacelle during a severe storm that brought winds of up to 165mph to the northern half of the UK. The owner, Infinis Energy, confirmed the nacelle had caught fire but was unable to give further details on the cause. No one was present when the incident happened, as staff are always evacuated from the site in winds above 55mph as a precautionary measure. ScottishPower, which operates the local network, disconnected the wind farm from the grid. Infinis had acquired the project a year earlier from Scottish and Southern Energy. The project was commissioned in 2004 and received a 6MW extension in 2009. An image of the burning turbine, sent in to the BBC by a member of the public, was reproduced in the UK press to illustrate the weather conditions.

Extreme wind speeds of up to 165mph during a severe storm. The mechanical or electrical cause of the nacelle fire was not reported.

1. Pre-emptive evacuation of personnel above defined wind-speed thresholds can prevent injuries during severe weather events.
2. Turbines remain at risk of fire when unmanned, so remote monitoring and automated shutdown arrangements matter during storm conditions.
3. Clear coordination between site owners and the local network operator supports prompt isolation of a damaged asset from the grid.

windpowermonthly.com/article/1108585/vestas-turbine-catches-fire-high-winds