Tower collapse prompts foundation replacement at Kent Hills wind farm
2021Published 5 Oct 2026
Companies named in this entry: TransAlta Renewables
What happened
In October 2021 a turbine tower in phase two of the Kent Hills wind farm near Moncton, New Brunswick, collapsed because of what was identified as a bad foundation. TransAlta Renewables said it found deficiencies in the design of the wind tower foundations. All 50 foundations at Kent Hills 1 and 2 require replacement. The plan is to dismantle the remaining turbines, remove and replace the foundations, reassemble the turbines, replace the collapsed turbine and test each one before return to service, with full operation expected in mid-2023.
Contributing factors
The company identified deficiencies in the design of the wind tower foundations. The report does not describe the precise design error.
Lessons learned
- A foundation failure should prompt inspection of other foundations of the same design on the site.
- Operators should check that foundation design assumptions still match the turbines as installed.
- Each turbine should be tested before it is returned to service after foundation replacement.
Source
Published 2026-10-05. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.