Cargo ship strikes offshore wind turbine in Tangshan, breaking blade

What happened

On 8 November 2026, the bulk carrier Meishangang 57 (Meishan Gang57), belonging to Zhejiang Daishan Hongcheng Shipping Company, was sailing from Changzhou in Jiangsu to the 3-1 anchorage at Jingtang Port when it struck turbine S09 at the Tangshan Shunhuan Xiangyun Island 250 MW offshore wind farm in Hebei province. According to a warning notice from the Hebei Maritime Safety Administration, the collision damaged the top of the vessel's wheelhouse and broke the blade of turbine S09.

The source does not mention injuries, the extent of the blade damage or whether the turbine has returned to service. The notice was reported by Meiri Fengdian (Daily Wind Power) in a report dated 13 November 2026.

Contributing factors

According to the Hebei Maritime Safety Administration's preliminary investigation as reported, the incident exposed shipping company safety responsibilities that were not fully implemented, and in adverse weather conditions the vessel was handled improperly and crew safety awareness was insufficient. These are preliminary findings and have not been confirmed by a final report.

Lessons learned

1. Vessels passing near offshore wind farms in poor weather need conservative passage planning and adequate clearance from turbines.
2. Shipping operators should enforce safety management responsibilities across the fleet, including bridge manoeuvring standards and crew safety training.
3. Wind farm operators should check that navigational warnings for their site are clear to mariners, and should inspect turbines for structural damage after any vessel contact.

More lessons on weather and external hazards, worker safety and safe systems of work, structural integrity and turbines, from every incident on the register.

Source

finance.sina.cn