GE Vernova removing some wind blades, strengthening others at Vineyard Wind

Following a July blade failure incident, GE Vernova says that it has developed a plan to remove some blades and strengthen others at the Vineyard Wind 1 project off the coast of Massachusetts.

These efforts are part of an incident and response action plan that GE Vernova and Vineyard Wind announced in August following the incident.

The plan outlined steps to safely remove the remainder of the damaged blade on turbine AW-38, remove any remaining debris, complete environmental studies, implement actions for blade readiness for service, and, ultimately, resume turbine installation and operations at the 800 MW Vineyard Wind 1 project.

Regarding the blade removal operation, which was developed together with salvage company Resolve Marine, GE Vernova has completed the first three tasks under the supervision of a federal interagency group. Those tasks included blade rotations to reduce blade debris; the removal of the hanging portion of the blade; and clearing of debris from the platform. 

The fourth task, the removal of seabed debris, began on Oct. 13 and should be completed sometime in late October. 

The fifth and final task, the removal of the root of the blade from the rotor hub, is expected to occur in the coming weeks.

In addition, the plan outlined GE Vernova’s three-stage approach to preparing blades for an anticipated return to service.

After implementing extensive quality checks, including the re-examination of more than 8,300 ultrasound images per blade and physical blade inspections with “crawler” drones, GE Vernova intends to remove some blades from the Vineyard Wind farm while strengthening others as needed to support the safety and operational readiness of this project, said Vineyard Wind.

Following authorization in mid-August to resume certain activities, eight new towers and nacelles have been installed on the project, according to Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners.

On Oct. 22, the companies were granted approval to return to installing new blades on turbines once safety and operational conditions are met. The companies will continue to make progress on these elements in upcoming weeks prior to installation, says Vineyard Wind.

The 800 MW offshore wind farm will comprise 62 GE Vernova’s Haliade-X 13 MW wind turbines, each with a 220-meter rotor and 107-meter blades.

Wind turbine installation started last year and the first power was generated in January 2024.

At the end of June, ten turbines delivered more than 136 MW to the electric grid in Massachusetts, making Vineyard Wind 1 the largest operating offshore wind project in the US.

“We appreciate the commitment our team has shown to this project and the care with which the federal, tribal, state, and local authorities have approached it,” said Vineyard Wind CEO Klaus Moeller. “The safety of our team, of the surrounding communities, and of the local environment has always been at the forefront of everything we do, and we are confident that the quality and safety assessments that have been undertaken over the last three months will make this a better, stronger, and safer project going forward.”