A crane operator was killed while installing Vestas turbines at a site in Germany, the Danish wind equipment company says. The accident happened yesterday morning when a blade dropped onto the crane cabin during installation by the subcontractor.

German news agency dapd reported the diver's death was the third deadly incident at German offshore wind farms in two years. Germany is seeking to multiply wind power generation with new offshore platforms in the North and Baltic Seas, but their construction and operation is logistically challenging.

The incident, which completely destroyed the nacelle, occurred earlier this year at the 51MW Gross Eilstorf wind farm in Lower Saxony, Germany. In a statement, Vestas said the fire started in the "Harmonic Filter Cabinet as the result of a loose connection that caused an arc flash".

Building offshore wind parks can be a deadly occupation. Three construction workers have already drowned whilst working on German projects in the North and Baltic Seas. 80 serious accidents have been registered, it was reported Sunday.

The fire, which destroyed the turbine, occurred at the 51MW Gross Eilstorf wind farm in Lower Saxony, Germany. Vestas said it is still inspecting the nacelle via drone aircraft and a crane and modelling possible causes. It has yet to discover the cause.

The Danish wind giant is dealing with fallout from a fire on one of its turbine models. A number of operating turbines were paused following the fire, and the company responded to media questions this week.

Two recent incidents could hurt Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas' reputation, which has suffered from credibility problems over the past year ...The first incident involves a Vestas wind turbine that caught fire at the Gross Eilstorf wind farm in Lower Saxony, Germany, a separate incident has resulted in the injury of a worker at the Macarthur Wind Farm, in Australia.

Vestas Wind Systems A/S (VWS), the world's largest wind-turbine maker, said a V112 3.0-megawatt turbine caught fire today at the Gross Eilstorf wind farm in Lower Saxony, Germany. No injuries were reported. The cause of the 3 p.m. blaze hasn't been determined ...The turbine, a new model for Vestas, was disconnected from the grid and three nearby V112 turbines were shut for safety reasons, it said.

local news stations say that a violent and unexpected gust of wind caused the rotor to take- off pulling the crane's boom and Jib with it, causing it to collapse. The boom, jib and rotor with its blades came crashing to the ground. The crane remained stable but the turbine components are totally destroyed along with the crane's boom and jib.

The German army has identified a series of wind park projects as a threat to national security and blocked investments worth 1.5 billion euros because it fears spinning wind turbines will interfere with its radar systems. The Bundeswehr has launched an investigation into the impact of the wind turbines planned for northern Germany's coastal area amid concerns they could compromise air defense -- because they could in theory provide a shield for enemy aircraft.

Residents near Dortmund were evacuated this week after the ground collapsed around a geothermal heat pump, while in another German town, almost 190 buildings have now been damaged by a geothermal project gone awry.

Fresh concerns have emerged over the future of BP's alternative energy business after a fire broke out at one of the company's largest solar power installations in Germany. The incident on June 21 destroyed nearly 200 sq m of one of the world's largest roof-mounted solar panel arrays on a warehouse complex in Bürstadt, near Mannheim.

After the industry's recent boom years, wind power providers and experts are now concerned. The facilities may not be as reliable and durable as producers claim. Indeed, with thousands of mishaps, breakdowns and accidents having been reported in recent years, the difficulties seem to be mounting. Gearboxes hiding inside the casings perched on top of the towering masts have short shelf lives, often crapping out before even five years is up. In some cases, fractures form along the rotors, or even in the foundation, after only limited operation. Short circuits or overheated propellers have been known to cause fires. All this despite manufacturers' promises that the turbines would last at least 20 years.