ScottishPower Wind Farm Shutdown After Turbine Lost a Blade

According to reports, all 140 turbines at the Whitelee wind farm on Eagloeham Moor near Glasgow are being inspected by engineers. ScottishPower said that the mechanical failure or possibly a lightning strike could be to blame for the breakage. Either way, this is something that is highly unusual.

Reports suggest that the 150 foot, 14 tonne, fiber glass blade broke off in the wee hours of the morning. During this time there were some very windy conditions. When the blade broke off it landed just at the base of the tower.

Operators at the site’s 24 hour control room were alerted to the damage by the turbine’s automatic system. Thus, the operators were able to immediately shutdown the turbine. Sixty-five turbines have begun operating again following an inspection led by turbine manufacture Siemens. The full examination is not expected to be completed until the end of the week. However, this is expected from the largest wind farm in Europe.

The managing director of ScottishPower, Keith Andreson, said that this type of incident is exceptionally rare and highly unusual. However, the safety of their people and the public is the company’s first priority. While the investigation into the cause is still ongoing, their engineers continue to conduct an internal and external examination of all turbine blades at the wind farm.

The Whitelee wind farm, located around 20 minutes from Glasgow city center, was officially switched on by Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond in May of last year. The turbines can generate 322MW of electricity, which is enough to power about 180,000 homes. Thus, it’s safe to say that this is one wind farm that people want up and running as quickly as possible.