Siemens Energy AG’s wind turbine unit started an investigation into a broken blade on one of its turbines in Brazil, as the company faces scrutiny over flaws in certain machines that are set cost more than €1 billion ($1.1 billion) to fix.
(Bloomberg) — Siemens Energy AG’s wind turbine unit started an investigation into a broken blade on one of its turbines in Brazil, as the company faces scrutiny over flaws in certain machines that are set cost more than €1 billion ($1.1 billion) to fix.
The damaged turbine — at the Santo Agostinho wind farm that French energy company Engie SA is building in the northeast of Brazil — belongs to Siemens Gamesa’s newest platform of onshore machines, known as 5.X, which has been plagued by quality issues. The wind park has been shut down amid the investigation.
Blade and turbine failures happen occasionally, and neither Engie nor Siemens Gamesa has said the incident in Brazil was a result of an equipment problem. Siemens Gamesa said it immediately started an internal investigation to determine the root cause of the incident and can’t speculate on the cause until the analysis is complete.
A spokesperson for Engie said the damaged blade was on a recently-commissioned 6.2-megawatt turbine. The company is evaluating 13 other operational turbines at the site as well as five others that are still being commissioned.
Read more: Wind Turbines That Shake and Break Cost Their Maker Billions
The 5.X turbine has been a core part of Siemens Energy’s wind woes in recent years as it struggled with design issues and ramping up production. Brazil is a key market for the company and the 2021 deal with the Santo Agostinho wind park — to supply 70 of its SG 5.8-170 turbines — was heralded as a landmark for the 5.X platform. The blades on that model are typically more than 80 meters (262 feet) long.
The broken blade was reported earlier by FL Journal.
–With assistance from Rodrigo Orihuela.
(Adds comment from Engie in fourth paragraph)
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