Offshore wind turbine catches fire at Horns Rev 1

Developers Vattenfall and Ørsted are analysing why Vestas’ V80-2.0MW turbine caught fire at the Danish wind farm.

Vattenfall and Ørsted are investigating after a turbine at their co-owned 160MW Horns Rev 1  wind farm off Denmark caught fire.

The developers are analysing why the Vestas V80-2.0MW turbine caught fire on 22 May and have established a 500-metre safety zone around the turbine in which ships are not allowed to travel.

No employees were at the wind farm at the time and no one was injured, Vattenfall stated.

The fire was limited to just one turbine, and so the overall supply of electricity from the project was not affected. The major components are attached to the turbine and any debris is subjected to identification, Vattenfall told Windpower Monthly.

Horns Rev 1 is located 20km off the west coast of Jutland, Denmark. It was the world’s first utility-scale offshore wind farm to be commissioned — in 2002 — and consist of 80 of Vestas’ V80-2.0MW turbines.

Vattenfall operates Horns Rev 1 and owns 60% of the wind farm, while Ørsted owns the remaining 40% .

A platform previously caught fire at the wind farm in October 2018.

A Vestas spokesman added that the manufacturer has not been responsible for servicing the wind farm for ten years. He said: “Vestas is aware of the situation at Horns Rev 1 and is available to assist the wind park owner in the root cause analysis of the incident if needed. The wind park is not on a service contract with Vestas.”