Posted in Offshore Wind, tagged Anastasia Lennon, Cherbourg France, GE Vernova, New Bedford Light, Rolldock Sun, Vineyard Wind on October 13, 2024| Leave a Comment »
The author of the New Bedford Light article about turbine blades being transported from New Bedford to Cherbourg posted (below) that there are six blades on the vessel.
It looks like she may get some help from French journalists who have picked up on this story. The Rolldock Sun is scheduled to arrive in Cherbourg on Oct. 16.
GE Vernova or Vineyard Wind could simplify things by explaining the shipment.
Posted in accidents, Offshore Wind, Regulation, tagged BSEE, Cherbourg France, GE Vernova, New Bedford Light, Rolldock Sun, turbine blade failure, Vineyard Wind on October 9, 2024| 1 Comment »
Per the New Bedford Light, the turbine blade delivery vessel Rolldock Sun was seen on Friday carrying at least two blades out of New Bedford. It was not headed for the Vineyard Wind site. According to vessel tracking websites, the Rolldock Sun was en route to the Port of Cherbourg, where GE Vernova has a blade manufacturing facility.
The most likely explanation for returning the blades to Cherbourg is that defects were detected or suspected. The blade that failed, reportedly as a result of a manufacturing issue, is probably not the only one that was defective.
The New Bedford Light asked GE Vernova, Vineyard Wind, and the Federal regulator BSEE why the blades were being transported to Cherbourg. They received the following responses (my comments in parentheses):
GE Vernova: “No comment on this matter.” (This is the worst possible response. In the absence of information, people are left to speculate. If there was no problem with the blades, why wouldn’t GE simply provide an explanation? Their non-response simply reinforces suspicions that the blades were defective. If that is the case, why not take credit for procedures that identified the suspect defects, albeit belatedly?
Vineyard Wind: “The weekend has gotten in the way of the information flow,” and they would share information should they hear anything. Another request for information was not answered as of noon Monday. (Not exactly confidence inspiring from the company whose blade failure littered beaches and the offshore environment. They are deservedly being watched, and need to be more transparent and responsive.)
BSEE: A BSEE spokesperson did not answer questions and said by email that the agency has no new information. (Disappointing, but not surprising.)
Posted in accidents, climate, Offshore Wind, UK, tagged Scotland Against Spin, Vineyard Wind, wind turbine incidents on October 7, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Given the absence of industry and government data on wind turbine incidents, Scotland Against Spin (SAS) has done yeoman’s work in filling the void. SAS gathers information from press reports and official releases. A PDF of the latest SAS update summary is attached. You can view their complete incident compilation (318 pages) here. Kudos to SAS for their diligence.
As good as their work has been, SAS acknowledges that their information is far from complete and may only represent the tip of the wind turbine incident iceberg. Per SAS:
Lars Herbst had previously reported, based on the Wind Power article cited above, that “with an estimated 700,000 blades in operation globally, there are, on average, 3,800 incidents of blade failure each year.” Lars noted that the annual blade failure rate of about 0.5% translates to 1.5% of all operating wind turbines experiencing a blade failure every year, a remarkably high failure frequency.
A sad irony is that one of the five operational Vineyard Wind turbines experienced a very impactful blade failure less than 5 months after the project had begun delivering a limited amount of power and government officials were patting themselves on their backs and declaring victory.
“This marks a turning point in the clean energy transition. After many decades of advocacy, research, policymaking, and finally construction, America’s offshore wind industry has gone from a dream to reality,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Across Massachusetts, in 30,000 homes and businesses, when you turn on the light, you will now be using clean, affordable energy. This will make the air we breathe safer and healthier, save customers money, and bring us one step closer to achieving net-zero emissions.”
Posted in decommissioning, energy policy, Offshore Energy - General, Offshore Wind, tagged BOEM, BSEE, Cox bankruptcy, decommissioning, financial assurance, Platforms Hogan and Houchin, Plug Offshore Wells Act, Vineyard Wind on September 17, 2024| Leave a Comment »
I’m not typically aligned with the sponsors of the attached “Plug Offshore Wells Act,” but the call for transparency is understandable given that taxpayer funds are, for the first time, being used to decommission offshore platforms in the Matagorda Island area of the Gulf of Mexico, massive liabilities associated with the Cox bankruptcy loom, and the Hogan and Houchin saga drags on without resolution.
The bill would require an annual report on well, platform, and pipeline decommissioning including applications, deadlines, and enforcement actions. BSEE does have a good facility infrastructure page for the GoM, but much of the information called for in H.R. 9168 is not publicly available.
Improved oversight of decommissioning requirements for offshore wind projects should also be considered in light of the precedent setting waiver granted to Vineyard Wind and BOEM’s “modernization rule” that relaxes financial assurance requirements for wind development.
Posted in energy policy, Offshore Energy - General, Offshore Wind, Regulation, tagged Ack for Whales, biological opinion, BOEM, NOAA, Rice's whale, RIght Whale, Vineyard Wind on September 5, 2024| Leave a Comment »
A new NOAA biological opinion finds that that pile-driving noise associated with the Vineyard Wind project is likely to adversely affect, but not likely to jeopardize, the continued existence of whales, fish or sea turtles listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
This opinion was predictable. On the one hand, denying the adverse effects from extensive pile driving would have been unacceptable to NOAA scientists. On the other hand, a jeopardy finding would have been unacceptable to their political leadership.
If you are wondering how NOAA managed to thread that needle, you will have to wait until their report is publicly available. On Aug. 23, NOAA said the opinion would be available in their library in about 10 days, but the opinion has still not been posted. How do you announce such significant findings without, at the same time, releasing the report?
Understandably, the Nantucket environmental organization ACK for whales is not pleased with either NOAA’s announcement or their failure to release the report:
“We are disappointed NOAA announced the conclusions of its bi-op on the Vineyard Wind 1 construction without releasing the report or the data on which it relied,” ACK For Whales stated. “NOAA’s own data show that in 2023, there were 151 marine mammal strandings in Massachusetts alone with 75 occurring from Jun 2023 to Dec 2023, the months that pile driving was active. This compares to 77 strandings for all of 2015, before OSW activity started – essentially a 100 percent increase. Most of those strandings in 2023 (n=55) occurred from Oct to Dec when VW was racing to get foundations installed. Out of the 47 bases installed in 2023, 68 percent were installed in the last three months of the year.”
In January, BOE raised concerns about the collaborative BOEM-NOAA-wind industry strategy to protect the right whale. Per that strategy, BOEM and NOAA view themselves as partners with the wind industry. Is this biological opinion an example of NOAA working with their partners in accordance with their joint strategy? While regulator-industry collaboration is essential for effective offshore development, be it wind or oil and gas, regulators and operating companies have distinctly different missions and responsibilities, and should not be viewed as partners.
The sharp contrasts between the operating restrictions for the right whale (Atlantic wind) and the Rice’s whale (Gulf of Mexico oil and gas) demonstrate the inconsistencies in ESA regulation. Are major energy companies partners when developing wind projects and adversaries when producing oil and gas?
Lastly, a letter from NOAA’s Lead Biologist that is attached to that post further points to a disconnect between scientific concerns and wind energy regulatory policy, and is thus germane to this discussion.
Posted in accidents, Offshore Wind, tagged GE Vernova, Haliade-X, Nantucket Current, Offshore Wind, Spider-Man, turbine blade failure, Tyler Paton, Vineyard Wind on August 27, 2024| Leave a Comment »
This real-life Spider-Man, seen on a Vineyard Wind turbine blade, is Tyler Paton. Tyler is an independent composite specialist who inspects and repairs blades on site. The Nantucket Current shared these images on X.
Posted in accidents, Offshore Wind, tagged BSEE, DNV, Dogger Bank Wind Farm, Dr. Edgar Gunter, Equinor, GE Vernova, Haliade-X blade failure, Vineyard Wind on August 27, 2024| 1 Comment »
| Offshore wind project | Haliade-X turbines installed | blade failures |
| Dogger Bank | 27 | 2 |
| Vineyard Wind | 21 | 1 |
Posted in accidents, Offshore Energy - General, Offshore Wind, tagged Dogger Bank Wind Farm, GE Vernova, turbine blade failure, Vineyard Wind on August 23, 2024| Leave a Comment »
The operator of the wind farm released this short statement yesterday (8/22/2024):
We are aware of a blade failure which occurred this morning on an installed turbine at Dogger Bank A offshore wind farm, which is currently under construction. In line with safety procedures, the surrounding marine area has been restricted and relevant authorities notified. No one was injured or in the vicinity at the time the damage was sustained.
We are working closely with the turbine manufacturer, GE Vernova, which has initiated an investigation into the cause of the incident.
Further updates will be issued in due course as more information becomes available.
There have thus been at least 3 GE Vernova Haliade-X turbine failures at new offshore wind farms in 2024 – two at Dogger Bank and one at Vineyard Wind.
Posted in accidents, energy policy, Offshore Energy - General, Offshore Wind, tagged BOEM, BSEE, Macondo blowout, regulatory fragmentation, turbine blade failure, Vineyard Wind on August 14, 2024| 2 Comments »
From the Nantucket Current:
Additionally, ultimate authority over the wind farm remained unclear, with various federal agencies claiming responsibility over different portions of the permitting, licensing, review, and operation of the wind farm.
“Sometimes I have a hard time figuring out, who do we talk to? Who is going to keep us safe? Who is the responsible boss here? Who is going to make the hard decision?” Select Board member Matt Fee asked.
As previously discussed, regulatory fragmentation is a safety and environmental risk factor.
Causes of regulatory fragmentation:
The Dept. of the Interior’s division of responsibilities for offshore wind, which was finalized in January 2023, inexplicably assigns review and approval of Construction and Operations Plans to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (i.e. the land manager, lessor, and wind energy promoter) rather than the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (i.e. the principal regulator of the activities described in those plans).
More significantly, the offshore wind responsibilities of the 2 bureaus are so intertwined (as is also the case for offshore oil and gas), that attempts to separate the functions have, at a minimum, created inefficiencies and increased regulatory and operational costs.
FTR, the idea that having the BOEM and BSEE functions combined in a single bureau, as was the case with the predecessor bureau (MMS), had anything to do with the Macondo blowout is a complete fallacy. Regarding the accusations that were made toward MMS, the Chief Counsel for the national commission that investigated the tragic incident found no evidence that ethical lapses on the part of MMS employees played any role in causing the blowout.
There were important regulatory changes made after the Macondo blowout. These included capping stack requirements, mandatory safety management systems, and updated rules and standards for cementing/zonal isolation and blowout preventer systems. None of these improvements were precipitated by or dependent on the division of MMS into two bureaus.
Posted in accidents, Offshore Energy - General, Offshore Wind, tagged debris, Nantucket, turbine blade failure, update, Vineyard Wind on August 11, 2024| Leave a Comment »
The Town of Nantucket would like to provide you with an important update regarding the controlled detachment of the Vineyard Wind turbine blade and the ongoing efforts to manage any resulting debris.
August 11, 8:00 PM – Early this morning, portions of the remaining hanging sections of the Vineyard Wind turbine blade detached from the hub. The controlled detachment follows a series of exercises conducted late last week to pitch the blade, which, in combination with storm winds, led to the safe separation of the sections below the root of the blade.
Vineyard Wind and GE Vernova are currently assessing the situation to determine if any remaining sections pose a risk of detachment. The root of the blade, still attached to the turbine, is being monitored, and we are informed that plans are in place for its removal. Vineyard Wind has maritime crews on site to secure and contain any debris immediately.
The U.S. Coast Guard continues to enforce a 500-meter safety exclusion zone around the turbine. Vineyard Wind is utilizing ocean current and wind pattern models to predict potential debris movement. Depending on wind direction, more debris could potentially arrive on Nantucket beaches over the next hours or days. The Town of Nantucket will provide updates when necessary.
Under a federal preservation order, Vineyard Wind is responsible for retaining all debris, and only their employees, contractors, or those appointed by town officials are authorized to handle and recover debris materials. We urge the public to avoid handling any debris.
REMINDER TO THE PUBLIC
Only trained employees or contractors are responsible for collecting and removing the debris. To report any remaining debris, please contact:
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 