Offshore wind turbine catches fire during lightning storm at Arklow Bank
Oct 2022Published 28 Sept 2026
What happened
On 19 October 2022, a vessel passing Arklow Bank reported a wind turbine on fire at the Arklow Bank Offshore Windfarm in the Irish Sea, off Arklow, Co Wicklow. The Department of Transport said the turbine had been struck by lightning, that no personnel were nearby, and that there was no risk to life. GE Renewable Energy, named as the owner, said it would investigate the cause once the site could be reached safely. EirGrid said the fire caused the loss of three megawatts and had no impact on the grid or energy supply.
Contributing factors
The Department of Transport reported that the turbine was struck by lightning. GE Renewable Energy said the root cause had not yet been determined.
Lessons learned
- A lightning strike can start a fire at an offshore turbine even when no one is on site, so detection and reporting still matter.
- Loss of a single turbine may not affect the wider grid, but the supply impact should still be confirmed quickly.
- Weather can delay access, so an early public account may not include a confirmed root cause.
Source
Published 2026-09-28. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.