Wind turbine blade shatters and falls at Sumac Ridge wind farm in Ontario

On a Saturday morning in April 2019, residents near Pontypool in the City of Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, reported hearing a loud screeching noise from a wind turbine. One of the turbine's blades, reported to weigh about 5,400 kilograms and measure 45 metres long, was found bent and had partially shattered, with sections of the blade falling to the ground. The turbine is one of five on the Sumac Ridge site west of Bethany, which had been operating for about three years at the time. The site owner, WPD Wind, said such damage was rare and confirmed it would investigate the cause. No cause had been determined at the time of reporting, and officials were still investigating the extent of the damage.

Not reported. The operator stated it had no comment on a possible cause and would launch an investigation.

1. Wind turbine blade failures can occur without an immediately apparent external trigger, underscoring the value of regular blade inspection and condition monitoring programmes.
2. Loud or unusual noises from operating turbines reported by nearby residents can serve as an early warning sign of mechanical failure and should trigger prompt investigation.
3. Operators should have clear protocols for securing debris fields and communicating with affected communities following blade failures, given the large mass and size of modern turbine blades.

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