Broken blade at GE wind turbine at Björkvattnet wind farm in Sweden. Alexander Pohl photo posted at Recharge Per Recharge: The first blade break at the wind farm was probably caused by a manufacturing defect, and the second was damaged during installation. According to regional newspaper Jämtlandstidning, local residents were complaining about not getting sufficient information about the third such incident.
“We don’t know what’s happening because we’re not told anything,” Terese Björk, who witnessed the broken blade on Friday, told the newspaper.
The primary purpose of the independent investigation is to prevent recurrences at this or other projects in the US and worldwide. Available data suggest that blade failures are far too common.
Updatedincident tables for OCS oil and gas operations. The most recent data are for 2023! Providing timely details on incidents is a fundamental responsibility of a safety regulator.
A summary of incidents associated with the OCS wind program. From press reports, we know about the fatality during Empire Wind construction. What other incidents have occurred to date?
Information on the mysterious sinking of the Aban Pearl semi-submersiblein May 2010. An investigation was conducted, but the report was never shared. In the interest of offshore safety, the new regime in Venezuela should release this report.
Next week, BOE will rank the 2025 Gulf of America Safety Compliance Leaders according to the number of incidents of non-compliance (INCs) per facility inspection.
The SAS data indicate that the number of wind turbine incidents has risen sharply in recent years (see chart below). The increased number of turbines worldwide, and perhaps better news coverage of incidents, presumably contributed to the sharp increase. Nonetheless, the growing number of incidents is disconcerting, as is the absence of industry and government summaries and reports.
SAS acknowledges that their list, which is dependent on publicly available reports, is merely the “tip of the iceberg.” For example, the list does not include the June 2, 2025, Empire Wind project fatality.
The SAS list does capture the 2008 collapse of the Russell Peterson liftboat, which was collecting data offshore Delaware for a wind project. One worker died and another was rescued. The Coast Guard never issued a report on this tragic incident. Serious questions remain about the positioning of a liftboat in the Mid-Atlantic for several months beginning in March when major storms are likely, the liftboat’s failure mechanisms, the operator’s authority to be conducting this research, and the actions that were taken in preparation for storm conditions.
The Russell Peterson toppled in May 2008 while gathering data for a proposed offshore wind project.
An Airbus H160 helicopter carrying eight people made an emergency landing at sea off the coast of Cabo Frio, Brazil, on Friday (1/2), prompting a rapid search and rescue operation by the Brazilian Navy. All occupants were rescued safely, underscoring the importance of offshore aviation safety and emergency response readiness.
The incident involved an OMNI Táxi Aéreo helicopter operating in support of offshore production platforms. The aircraft landed approximately 74 kilometers south of Cabo Frio, Brazil. Six passengers and two crew members were on board at the time of the emergency landing.
Following the landing, a Search and Rescue (SAR) operation was immediately activated. A Navy helicopter was dispatched to the location, where the occupants had evacuated into two life rafts. All eight individuals were recovered and transported to the clinic at the Naval Air Base of São Pedro da Aldeia. Authorities confirmed that everyone was in good condition.
Fortunately, the weather was good and the sea conditions were calm.
A colleague of mine, Bill Gazdik, died in a helicopter crash while en route to the Western Pacesetter 1 drilling rig offshore New Jersey in 1978. Another colleague, Jack Willock, was seriously injured in that incident. Jack attributed his survival to the helicopter “dunker” training he had recently completed.
Although the number of events has decreased significantly over the years, helicopter incidents are still a leading safety concern. Four died on 12/29/2022 when a helicopter crashed at the West Delta 106 A platform the Gulf.
rescue offshore Brazil from the Rig Pigs Facebook page
This picture was posted on the “Rig Pigs” Facebook page by Huston Funk. Per Huston: “First crew photo from the Deepwater Horizon. Taken in the Indian Ocean after we had left Singapore.”
Commenters identified 3 Macondo victims in the photo: Jason Anderson, Don Clark, and Stephen Curtis 🙏
The attached Memorandum of Understanding between Vineyard Wind (VW) and the Town of Nantucket is long on bureaucratic procedures and short on risk mitigation and penalties.
The agreement details requirements for monthly reports, liaisons, written correspondence, plan reviews, and participation on incident management teams, but excludes any monetary penalties for past or future incidents. (With regard to penalties, should BSEE have assessed civil penalties for the 2024 turbine incident in accordance with 30 CFR § 285.400 (f)? This was a major pollution event.)
This MOU provision gives the impression that the Town is subordinate to VW:
“The Town will provide Vineyard Wind 1 up to 4 business days, if required, to identify and correct errors in the Town’s intended public communications about the Project.”
The responsible party should not be exercising oversight over the communications of an affected local government. Can you imagine Santa Barbara County reaching such an agreement with Sable Offshore?
Finally, the MOU further establishes the Town as a de facto partner in the project. VW, not the Town, is the responsible party and must be held fully accountable for project performance.
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 