Wind turbine collapses in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern after storm damage

What happened

A wind turbine in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, was filmed snapping and collapsing onto a field, with blade fragments scattered on the ground. Reporting citing Norddeutscher Rundfunk said residents had heard unusual noises since a thunderstorm about a week earlier. Witnesses said a five-metre section of blade broke off after that storm and that the turbine kept spinning, which left it unbalanced. When strong winds hit the region on the Tuesday of the collapse, the turbine snapped and fell.

A farmer told reporters he had seen lightning strike the turbine during the earlier storm. A renewable energies official said a lightning strike would not significantly affect a turbine because the strike would be discharged into the ground, but that technical issues could on rare occasions have caused a collapse. Injuries, the site name and the operator were not reported.

Contributing factors

Witnesses linked earlier storm damage, including a reported lightning strike, to a five-metre blade section breaking off. The remaining rotor kept turning, which was reported to have caused imbalance. The damaged turbine then failed when strong winds hit the region.

Lessons learned

1. Inspect turbines promptly after storms or lightning events even when protection systems appear to have operated.
2. Remove from service any turbine showing unusual noise or vibration until a full assessment is completed.
3. Verify blade integrity after partial damage before allowing continued operation in high winds.

Source

foxweather.com