Construction and operation of the 806-MW Vineyard Wind offshore wind project off the southern coast of Massachusetts has been suspended by the U.S. Department of the Interior as agency experts and developers study how a shovel in one of its giants of 13.7 MW, 853 feet. The tall Haliade-X turbines failed on July 13, with debris washing up on the beaches of Nantucket Island, 21 miles to the north
Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, is developing the estimated $3 billion project, with the start of the project greatly delayed by the Trump administration’s refusal to approve its construction plan. The project was approved early in the Biden administration, with the first turbine installed in mid-2023.
By mid-July, installation of about 21 of the planned 62 turbines was complete, with 10 operating to produce about 136 MW of power. The damaged turbine was still undergoing testing and was not operational, the company said, with 47 turbine foundations installed with their transition pieces.
“There were no injuries, but operations are closed until further notice,” the department’s Office of Safety and Environmental Compliance said, adding that investigators are preparing “an analysis of the cause of the incident and next steps.” The agency said all power generation at the project is suspended “until it can be determined whether the blade failure affects other Vineyard Wind turbines” and that it “will conduct an independent assessment to ensure the safety of the future offshore renewable energy operations”.
Vineyard Wind communications director Craig Gilvarg said turbine manufacturer and installation contractor GE Vernova “will now conduct a root cause analysis of the incident.” He said the estimated 350-foot-long blade broke about 65 feet “from the root,” although most of it is still “attached to the turbine.” The root connects the blade to the turbine rotor.
The cause of damage to the GE Vernova wind turbine at the 806 MW Vineyard Wind offshore wind project in southern Massachusetts (above) is under investigation, sending debris onto beaches on the nearby island of Nantucket, (right) . Images: above, courtesy of Nantucket Current via X (Twitter); right, courtesy of Town of Nantucket X (Twitter)
The developer said yes “Mobilize debris recovery teams on Nantucket to examine the south-facing beaches of the island for debris recovery” and “remain focused on ensuring the safety of personnel and boaters in the offshore area.” The company is working with the US Coast Guard to maintain a 500 meter safety zone around the damaged turbine. Beaches on Nantucket were initially closed, with officials describing “large floating debris and sharp pieces of fiberglass” — and reopened on July 17, Vineyard Wind said.
grapevine wind said it has hired Robert B. Our Co Inc., a construction company in Harwich, Mass., and National Response Corp., an emergency response contractor, to lead cleanup operations. The developer said it had removed 17 cubic meters of debris as of July 17.
GE Vernova called the incident an “isolated blade event,” in a statement. The US-based company said its Fleet Performance Management team has “initiated our investigation protocols into the event in coordination with our customer”.
The Nantucket Current said that Vineyard Wind told him that “three newly manufactured replacement blades were installed on this GE Vernova wind turbine after one of the original turbine blades was damaged during the lift process and subsequently removed of the construction zone”.
