www.windaction.org | facts, analysis, exposure of wind energy's real impacts http://www.windaction.org/ facts, analysis, exposure of wind energy's real impacts en-us Windaction hourly 1 http://backend.userland.com/rss Older turbine collapses near road (1) http://www.windaction.org/articles/13572 Sat, 12 Jan 2008 23:08:17 GMT The blade assembly shattered on impact with the road. http://www.windaction.org/articles/13572 Older turbine collapses near road http://www.windaction.org/articles/13560 Sat, 12 Jan 2008 13:34:07 GMT http://www.windaction.org/articles/13560 Turbine collapse in Scotland http://www.windaction.org/articles/12698 Sat, 10 Nov 2007 23:44:38 GMT http://www.windaction.org/articles/12698 Oldside Wind Plant- Damaged Turbine from Lightning Strike http://www.windaction.org/articles/3824 Sat, 01 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT The Oldside and Siddick windfarms are next to each other on the A596 route down the coast . The road itself runs parallel to the railway line - with the wind plant arranged in another line between the two. The Siddick wind plant is very close to the Carlisle /Workington railway line and poses a real risk to rail traffic for that reason. These turbines are not so close to the railway or the road - but still close enough. Both wind farms have the same sort of turbines and are owned by the same company - Wind Prospect. http://www.windaction.org/articles/3824 Wind Turbine on Fire (2) http://www.windaction.org/articles/1344 Wed, 18 Jan 2006 16:08:47 GMT A 200ft wind turbine in Wearside which burst into flames on Christmas Eve last year. The 75ft fibreglass blades burnt off and fell to the ground leading police to close two roads close to the tower. Residents from miles around reported thick black smoke emanating from the turbine at the Nissan factory - Inset picture courtesy of Sunderland Echo http://www.windaction.org/articles/1344 Wind Turbine on Fire (1) http://www.windaction.org/articles/1054 Sat, 24 Dec 2005 17:43:14 GMT

The 200ft structure at the Nissan factory, part of a £2.3million wind farm built in August, burst into flames just after 12.30pm yesterday.

The fire was so fierce all three 75-ft long fibreglass blades eventually dropped off and thick black smoke could be seen for miles around.

Almost 200 people dialled 999 to alert emergency crews as flames engulfed the turbine.

Police closed both the A1231 and the A19 for an hour-and-a-quarter amid worries that parts of the metal tower could fall on to the busy roads.

The six turbines were bought second-hand at a cost of £1.1million, having been previously used on a wind farm in Germany.

Graham Bagley, from Nissan, told the Echo in August it did not make financial sense to buy new ones and claimed the turbines were in "excellent condition".

A spokesman for Nissan denied the turbines are unsafe.

"It is the same design that has been used in wind farms all over the world and as far as we're aware nothing like this has happened before," he said.

"If there had been any concerns about the turbines we would never have purchased them. "We're taking this very seriously and until we know what has caused this all six turbines will be shut down."

He said engineers from Vestas, the company who manufactured the devices, had been working on the affected turbine since an oil leak was detected on Thursday.

"It was the third turbine and is the nearest one to our test track," the spokesman said.

"Engineers were repairing it yesterday morning and they had restarted it when the fire started. As far as we are aware it was oil that caught fire and the blades then burnt through. They are made of fibreglass and they burnt right down to the metal shaft before falling off. Nobody was hurt. We have now shut down all the other turbines and engineers are carrying out checks on all of them. We apologise for any inconvenience that may have been caused by this."

Both the main roads were reopened at 2pm. A spokeswoman from Tyne and Wear Fire Service said: "We had seven fire engines in attendance and because of the risk of the structure falling onto the A19 police closed the road and the A1231.

"The majority of the structure eventually fell away from the road."

]]> A HUGE wind turbine went up in smoke in a massive blaze seen for miles across Wearside.The 200ft structure at the Nissan factory, part of a £2.3million wind farm built in August, burst into flames just after 12.30pm yesterday. The fire was so fierce all three 75-ft long fibreglass blades eventually dropped off and thick black smoke could be seen for miles around. Almost 200 people dialled 999 to alert emergency crews as flames engulfed the turbine. Police closed both the A1231 and the A19 for an hour-and-a-quarter amid worries that parts of the metal tower could fall on to the busy roads. The six turbines were bought second-hand at a cost of £1.1million, having been previously used on a wind farm in Germany. Graham Bagley, from Nissan, told the Echo in August it did not make financial sense to buy new ones and claimed the turbines were in "excellent condition". A spokesman for Nissan denied the turbines are unsafe. "It is the same design that has been used in wind farms all over the world and as far as we're aware nothing like this has happened before," he said. "If there had been any concerns about the turbines we would never have purchased them. "We're taking this very seriously and until we know what has caused this all six turbines will be shut down." He said engineers from Vestas, the company who manufactured the devices, had been working on the affected turbine since an oil leak was detected on Thursday. "It was the third turbine and is the nearest one to our test track," the spokesman said. "Engineers were repairing it yesterday morning and they had restarted it when the fire started. As far as we are aware it was oil that caught fire and the blades then burnt through. They are made of fibreglass and they burnt right down to the metal shaft before falling off. Nobody was hurt. We have now shut down all the other turbines and engineers are carrying out checks on all of them. We apologise for any inconvenience that may have been caused by this." Both the main roads were reopened at 2pm. A spokeswoman from Tyne and Wear Fire Service said: "We had seven fire engines in attendance and because of the risk of the structure falling onto the A19 police closed the road and the A1231. "The majority of the structure eventually fell away from the road." http://www.windaction.org/articles/1054 Damaged Turbine Crystal Rig wind farm near Dunbar (1) http://www.windaction.org/articles/327 Fri, 01 Apr 2005 05:00:00 GMT The Times April 16, 2005

Wind farm fears as blade snaps

By Katrina Tweedie

A TURBINE at a Scottish wind farm has broken down after one of its blades snapped off.

The 10-tonne turbine, one of 31 at the £80 million Crystal Rig wind farm near Dunbar, East Lothian, was destroyed last week when a mechanism to stop it spinning too fast failed. Onlookers reported strong winds and said one of the turbine blades flew off and hurtled into the countryside.

The 60ft high steel turbines are designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 60 miles per hour and owners, Fred Olsen Renewables, denied the breakdown was wind related. A spokesman said they were investigating the cause and that there had been little risk to people at the remote wind farm.

The turbines from German firm Nordex were installed in August 2004. It will cost an estimated £1.25 million to repair.

Anti-wind farm campaigners said the incident confirmed their fears about the danger of blades flying off wind turbines.

David Bruce, of the pressure group Scottish Wind Assessment Project, said: “There were high winds so the turbines were ‘feathered’, or locked so they couldn’t spin round. It was lucky nobody was walking below. This is only about the second incidence of this in the UK but it shows this is possible.”

]]> Britain The Times April 16, 2005 Wind farm fears as blade snaps By Katrina Tweedie A TURBINE at a Scottish wind farm has broken down after one of its blades snapped off. The 10-tonne turbine, one of 31 at the £80 million Crystal Rig wind farm near Dunbar, East Lothian, was destroyed last week when a mechanism to stop it spinning too fast failed. Onlookers reported strong winds and said one of the turbine blades flew off and hurtled into the countryside. The 60ft high steel turbines are designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 60 miles per hour and owners, Fred Olsen Renewables, denied the breakdown was wind related. A spokesman said they were investigating the cause and that there had been little risk to people at the remote wind farm. The turbines from German firm Nordex were installed in August 2004. It will cost an estimated £1.25 million to repair. Anti-wind farm campaigners said the incident confirmed their fears about the danger of blades flying off wind turbines. David Bruce, of the pressure group Scottish Wind Assessment Project, said: “There were high winds so the turbines were ‘feathered’, or locked so they couldn’t spin round. It was lucky nobody was walking below. This is only about the second incidence of this in the UK but it shows this is possible.” http://www.windaction.org/articles/327 Warning Sign, Ovenden Moor http://www.windaction.org/articles/1524 GMT http://www.windaction.org/articles/1524 Warning Sign: Crystal Rig Wind Farm http://www.windaction.org/articles/1526 GMT http://www.windaction.org/articles/1526 Wind blades fell in school yard; Raasay children sent home after 50ft turbine collapsed http://www.windaction.org/articles/24196 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:08:17 GMT Children at an island primary were sent home after a newly-installed wind turbine next to their school collapsed, it emerged yesterday. Parents of youngsters at the 18-pupil Raasay Primary School were asked to collect their children following the incident on November 13. The 50ft turbine will "remain out of commission" until an investigation has been carried out. http://www.windaction.org/articles/24196 Novera's wind farm plan hits turbulence http://www.windaction.org/articles/24073 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:38:05 GMT The hostile battle for control of Novera Energy took a new twist today as it emerged that one of the company's pipeline wind farm projects could be halted by fears it could cause a mid-air fighter jet collision. In an intervention which could have ramifications for many onshore wind projects, an air traffic control expert has told North Yorkshire planning officials to block Novera's Bullamoor project, where it envisages massive 120 metre-tall turbines on farmland near Northallerton. http://www.windaction.org/articles/24073 RAF objections to wind turbines http://www.windaction.org/articles/24001 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:26:47 GMT Unmanageable interference would be caused to the radar at RAF Leeming by four 132-metre tall wind turbines, the Ministry of Defence says, warning their height would also cause a serious obstruction to the safe movement of aircraft. But the plans are still being recommended for approval. Novera Energy plc wants to erect the turbines on undulating farmland south of the A684 at Winton, four kilometres north-east of Northallerton and 3.6 kilometres from the boundary of the North York Moors National Park. http://www.windaction.org/articles/24001 Wind turbines suspended after flaw discovered http://www.windaction.org/articles/23700 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:10:47 GMT An entire fleet of around 100 'urban' wind turbines has been remotely shut down by manufacturer Quiet Revolution after the discovery of a design fault. The fleet of QR5 turbines was disabled after continual wind speeds of between 14 and 24 metres per second caused a turbine located on a sea wall in Blackpool to develop a mechanical error, the company said in a statement on Friday. The QR5s have been installed on 55 sites for clients including Network Rail, Sainsbury's and self-storage firm Big Yellow. http://www.windaction.org/articles/23700 Wind turbine in Sheffield broken by wind for second time http://www.windaction.org/articles/23532 Sat, 10 Oct 2009 11:40:58 GMT Manufacturers of the 190ft high turbine, one of three owned by Sheffield University, are now investigating the damage at the site close to the city's Parkway link road to the M1. A blade on the same turbine was broken 15 months ago and residents who live close to the site at Catcliffe, near Rotherham, have expressed fears that they could pose a danger to local people. http://www.windaction.org/articles/23532 Part of wind turbine at Flackwell Heath school fell off http://www.windaction.org/articles/23465 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:22:12 GMT A wind turbine at a school in Flackwell Heath has been repaired after part of it fell off into the school playground. A panel - about the size of a dustbin cover - fell off the back of the turbine at Carrington Junior School and the whole structure had to be taken down and repaired over the summer. ...Photographs and an anonymous letter were recieved by the Bucks Free Press saying: "If this can happen, the turbine is a danger and should not be installed anywhere near our children." http://www.windaction.org/articles/23465 SSE warns hydro plant may be shut for a year http://www.windaction.org/articles/23363 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:20:32 GMT The first major UK hydro project to be completed in 50 years, Glendoe was closed less than two months after the Queen officially opened the 100-megawatt station at the end of June. Yesterday, Perth-based SSE said investigations showed that the rock fall, in a tunnel carrying water between the reservoir and the power station, was "very substantial". ...SSE also confirmed the Greater Gabbard wind farm in the Thames Estuary had been hit after faulty welding was discovered on the turbines. http://www.windaction.org/articles/23363 Injured wind farm worker is taken to hospital http://www.windaction.org/articles/23261 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:00:30 GMT An injured worker from the wind farms off Clacton has been taken to hospital after falling through a hatch on a tug boat. The 24-year-old German man was hurt while working aboard the vessel Arion which transports equipment out to the wind farms. http://www.windaction.org/articles/23261 Maintenance worker dies on Caithness wind farm http://www.windaction.org/articles/23138 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:11:58 GMT A man has died in an accident while carrying out maintenance at a wind farm today. It is understood the man was working high up on one of the turbines but did not fall. Police were called at around 9.15am to the Causeymire Wind Farm, south of Spittal, near the A9 in Caithness. http://www.windaction.org/articles/23138 Wakefield: Coca-Cola's wind turbine plan scrapped http://www.windaction.org/articles/23060 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 07:12:17 GMT Coca-Cola has scrapped plans for a towering wind turbine at their Wakefield site - after police raised fears it was too near the force helicopter's landing pad. The soft drinks giant wanted to build a 110-metre high turbine in a bid to make its bottling and distribution centre on the Wakefield 41Industrial Estate cleaner and greener. http://www.windaction.org/articles/23060 Aberford wind farm plan refused http://www.windaction.org/articles/22829 Mon, 24 Aug 2009 02:18:35 GMT Controversial plans to build a wind farm near Aberford have been blown away by councillors. The city council's east plans panel has turned down a developer's proposal to put five 125m-tall wind turbines in the green belt on Hook Moor just north of Micklefield. A council report said the application was refused because it would adversely impact on the Precision Approach Radar at RAF Church Fenton and impact upon the Primary Surveillance Radar at RAF Linton on Ouse. http://www.windaction.org/articles/22829