Stricken Vineyard gets US clearance to restart wind turbine installation – but not blades

Developer Vineyard Wind and turbine supplier GE Vernova were cleared today (Tuesday) to resume installing towers and nacelles at the project site in Massachusetts coastal waters amid an ongoing cleanup of a detached blade, but are not yet allowed to resume power production or install new blades.

The updated suspension order follows Vineyard and GE Vernova’s removal of substantial portions of the damaged blade that remained affixed to the rotor through controlled cutting over 11-12 August.

BSEE’s updated order “reflects the unity of effort, extensive planning, independent third-party validation, and relentless focus on safety that went into developing our action plan to secure the remainder of the damaged blade and get this critical project back on track,” said Vineyard Wind CEO Klaus Moeller.

Vineyard – a joint venture (JV) between Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and Iberdrola-controlled Avangrid – is the first fully permitted US offshore wind array to go into construction and generate power. When fully commissioned next year, its 62 13MW GE Haliade-X turbines will generate over 800MW of power for the Massachusetts grid.

BSEE’s suspension order requires Vineyard to submit an analysis of personnel risk and mitigation measures, and the regulator has likewise initiated its own investigation into the causes and factors contributing to the incident.

“As our investigation continues, we are serving as a federal liaison between the responsible party, Vineyard Wind 1, GE Vernova, and other federal, state, local, and Tribal agencies,” said BSEE director Kevin Sligh.

“BSEE prioritizes offshore worker safety and environmental protection, and we will use all tools available to ensure compliance with safety and environmental regulations on the Outer Continental Shelf,” said director Sligh.