Siemens Gamesa wind turbine taken offline after vessel collision
Vessel collided with Siemens Gamesa turbine at Vattenfall wind farm on Sunday morning, with two crew members taken to hospital with injuries
A Siemens Gamesa offshore wind turbine has been taken offline as investigations are carried out into damage sustained after a vessel crashed into the 11MW machine at a Vattenfall-owned project in the Netherlands.
“At first glance, the turbine suffered only minor damage,” said the spokesperson. “As a precautionary measure it is now in idle and further investigations will be conducted over the coming period.”
“Police are investigating the circumstances of the accident. We will refrain from further comment until they have concluded their investigations.”
The Panama-flagged vessel is 46 metres in length and owned by vessel operator Glomar Offshore, which was approached for comment. A photo published of the vessel docked after the incident at the port of Den Helder shows it with a dented nose.
The final turbine was installed at Hollandse Kust Zuid in June 2023 and Dutch king Willem-Alexander inaugurated the wind farm a few months later. The wind farm's annual electricity production is expected to equal the consumption of 1.5 million households, says Vattenfall.
The turbines feature recyclable blades produced by Siemens Gamesa, which declined to comment on the collision incident.
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