Damaged Turbine Blade Fully Detaches at Vineyard Wind: Emergency Crews Responding to Clean Up Fiberglass Debris from Ocean and Coastline

Vineyard Wind, the largest offshore wind project in the United States, is currently deploying multiple cleanup and community outreach crews to the Massachusetts coastline after reports were received that one of the GE Vernova turbine blades had experienced "unexpected damage" and subsequently detached from the turbine. 

 

According to an official statement, the damage is believed to have occurred while GE Vernova was commissioning the turbine before Vineyard Wind was given control and responsibility for the turbine. 

 

Maritime crews worked through the night to respond to the incident and collect the turbine blade and additional debris, but weather conditions made quick progress difficult. Despite this, a fleet of vessels remained at sea to manage the situation and remove identified bulk debris and the damaged blade, which was located 3.5 miles southeast of Monomoy Island. Crews were also immediately deployed to Chatham, Monomoy Island, and Nantucket Island, where the Harbormasters reported additional debris washing ashore. 

 

Quick and thorough cleanup became a top priority for GE Vernova and Vineyard Wind, as the sharpness of the fiberglass material used to construct the turbine blade can pose a serious safety hazard to citizens and beachgoers. 

 

Although GE Vernova is responsible for the cleanup, Vineyard Wind is committed to helping in the debris location and recovery process. Along with deploying multiple vessels for ocean cleanup, the companies also utilized helicopters to provide an aerial review of the broader beach area, and Vineyard Wind launched a response team of more than 50 employees, led by modeling information provided by the US Coast Guard, to work with local emergency response and official Commonwealth environmental teams to complete further cleanup operations. 

 

While the damaged turbine blade and much of the debris have been located and removed, GE Vernova and Vineyard Wind will continue to work with local emergency response teams to monitor the coastline and perform subsea monitoring activities to identify any remaining debris. 

 

“Many of our team members have been out in the Nantucket community for the last several days, either collecting debris or connecting with affected residents. We are still working to clean the beaches and remain committed to working with the community to address this situation,” said Vineyard Wind CEO Klaus Moeller. “We will provide timely and useful information on recovery efforts."

 

Locals are being advised to utilize caution when visiting the beaches, and if any debris is found, to not touch the fiberglass and immediately report the incident to the dedicated hotline number: 833-609-5768.