Wind Turbine Incidents From High Wind Speeds
A consultant hired by the P.E.I. government in 2022 discovered severe damage at a wind farm in Hermanville, revealing a troubling situation. The wind farm, operational since 2014, has faced a series of setbacks, culminating in recent incidents where high winds ripped two 56-meter blades off one of the turbines. This event, coupled with a steep decline in energy production, has highlighted significant safety and operational concerns.
Reports from the consultant outlined critical issues within the wind farm infrastructure. Turbine blades were found to have severe damage or defects, posing a high risk of imminent failure. Additionally, some turbines were missing or had failed components, created safety hazards, and impacted operational efficiency. Technical flaws in the turbine design, including broken blade studs and lightning protection system failures, were identified as contributing factors to the ongoing problems.
The government now faces substantial repair costs, estimated at $10 million, to address the damages and ensure the wind farm's safety and operational integrity. However, potential legal disputes loom over responsibility for these expenses, particularly regarding the maintenance contract with Nordex, the company tasked with turbine upkeep.
Beyond financial implications, the situation raises broader concerns about the province's energy supply. With the wind farm's output drastically reduced and revenue declining, there are worries about meeting energy demands and achieving decarbonization goals. The reliability of the wind farm is crucial for P.E.I.'s electricity supply, especially as the province pursues aggressive decarbonization efforts.
The benefit of Borrum Energy Solutions'™ Anorra™ microgeneration wind turbines and towers are their unique design to ensure they operate safely in the harsh Canadian weather environment. More specifically, the wind turbine and towers meet if not exceed the CSA S37 (antennas and towers) and CSA-61400-2 (Wind turbine normal and abnormal conditions). As a result, they can operate safely in 189 km/h winds, 25mm of icing, cold winters up to -50 degrees Celsius and significant gust wind. As the only Canadian company that meet these standards for microgeneration turbines, we pride ourselves on the peace of mind we can provide homeowners that incidents like the one above won’t happen.