A GE turbine has collapsed at Enefit Green’s in-construction 75MW Akmene wind farm in Lithuania. Nobody was injured in the accident, the developer said.
One of the wind turbines malfunctioned with the tower bending and nacelle falling to the ground, Enefit Green said.
Enefit Green Lithuanian country manager Donatas Celesius the company is taking safety at the operating wind farms and construction sites with highest priority.
He said: “The reasons behind the incident are under investigation. We are cooperating with all the authorities looking into the matter.
“Also, Enefit Green is conducting an internal review with the turbine supplier to identify any possible risks or factors that could be taken into consideration and prevent such accidents in the future.”
GE said in a statement: “On May 2, a turbine collapse was reported at Enefit Green management’s Akmene wind farm in Lithuania.
“There were no injuries. We are working with the wind farm owner to determine the root cause of this event.”
Emergency response units from the fire department and police have assessed the situation at the site.
A no entry safety perimeter has been established around the affected turbine to reduce any risks.
All the other machines have currently been stopped at the site. The malfunctioned unit has been fully disconnected and the situation is being monitored, Enefit Green added.
The Akmene wind farm is one of three Enefit Green’s wind farms under construction in Lithuania.
It consists of 14 wind turbines supplied by General Electric. The wind farm will produce an estimated 258 gigawatt-hours of green electricity annually.
The construction of Akmene wind farm started in February 2022. Partial electricity production started this year.