A 1.7MW turbine, supplied by GE, has collapsed at a wind power facility in Brazil, making the latest collapse the fourth for the manufacturer in less than six months.
The collapse, confirmed by GE, occurred at the 216MMW Ventos de Sao Clemente wind farm, in the north-eastern state of Pernambuco, follows three previous incidents in the US, in February, May, and July, with a leading insurer specialising in renewables raising concerns about a possible pattern in the collapses.
GE says that the three incidents are unrelated, and that it has already dispatched an expert team to to the Echoenergia site, owned by UK venture capital fund Actis, to determine the cause of the accident.
Reports indicate that blade detached from the turbine due to strong winds topping 100 km/h, which caused the turbine to lose stability and crash. Wind speeds in the area usually range between 8 and 12 meters per second.
