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The Vineyard Wind project must remove an unknown number of blades that have already been installed south of Martha’s Vineyard while it repairs others, the company announced Wednesday. The project also received permission from the federal government this week to resume blade installation after it removes and repairs the components in the coming weeks.
The latest announcement suggests investigations found more defective blades similar to the blade that failed in July, and comes after the project quietly delivered at least four turbine blades from New Bedford to Cherbourg, France, where GE Vernova operates a blade manufacturing plant.
Both companies had not responded to questions as to why blades were being shipped to Europe from the U.S., but on Wednesday, a GE spokesperson told The Light the repair work will occur “in the water/at the turbine, in other cases at the [marshaling] harbor and our factory in Cherbourg, France.”
The companies said they would be “strengthening” the blades “as needed to support the safety and operational readiness of this project,” but it is unclear what is meant by “strengthening” — whether it means applying more adhesive or fiberglass — or where in the blade the repair work will occur.
During an earnings call with investors Wednesday morning, GE Vernova CEO Scott Strazik said the last few months for offshore wind have been “difficult for us.”
“We can say today that a very small proportion, low single-digit proportion of our manufactured blades in totality also had a manufacturing deviation similar to the blade” that failed at the Vineyard Wind site, Strazik said. “In those cases, we are taking action on those blades.”
A GE spokesperson said the company will not specify how many blades are being removed or repaired.
Strazik said the company “just got guidance” to resume installing blades: “I think this blade chapter we’ve learned a lot from the last three or four months.”
The press release stated that on Tuesday, “the companies were granted approval to return to installing new blades on turbines at the project once stringent safety and operational conditions are met,” and that power production “will resume only after additional progress is made and all requisite approvals are granted.”
The U.S Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement told The Light Wednesday morning it issued an updated suspension order, which supersedes the order from August.
The order continues to prohibit power production and the installation of blades, but may allow “specific activities” on a “case-by-case basis” under BSEE’s discretion, which the agency spokesperson confirmed could cover the installation of a single blade.
BSEE has been conducting its own investigation into the blade failure and said there is “no timetable” for the completion of the investigation.
Following the failure, GE Vernova cited a manufacturing defect in its factory in Gaspé, Quebec — specifically “insufficient bonding” — as the cause. The finding prompted a re-inspection of 150 blades produced at the factory, which included several that had already been delivered to New Bedford.
The companies collected new data from within the blades, reviewed more than 8,000 ultrasound photos, and dispatched remote-controlled drones inside the football-field-length components for further visual inspection.
The Sea Installer, the specialized vessel that has been installing the turbine components after they are brought out to the site on feeder barges, will be performing the blade removal work as well, The Light confirmed.
The Light contacted DEME Offshore, the vessel’s operator, for information on how long the removal blade process is expected to take, where the blades go from the Sea Installer, and how much the removal work will cost.
GE Vernova officials during Wednesday’s investor call said they have estimates for the remediation costs and the extension of the project delivery timeline during the question and answer portion, without specifying further.
Vineyard Wind and GE Vernova also shared Wednesday that the salvage of seabed debris, which began earlier this month, will wrap up this week, and that the removal of the root of the damaged blade from the nacelle is expected to occur in the coming weeks.
As for measuring the environmental impacts of the failure, which sent foam and fiberglass debris onto Massachusetts shores, the federal government ordered the companies to complete a comprehensive study on the environmental harm, Nantucket Current reported last week.
Per GE and Vineyard Wind, they have started the sampling and analysis work, and expect to share the results in the coming weeks.
“In alignment with our commitment to being thorough and not rushed before returning to work, we continue to make progress executing on our August Incident and Response Action Plan with safety, operational integrity, and long-term reliability as our top priorities for this important project,” said GE Vernova Chief Sustainability Officer Roger Martella in a statement.
“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. “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.”
As of July, 24 of the 62 turbines were installed, though before the July 13 blade break, only 10 were fully operational and sending power to the Massachusetts grid.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Email Anastasia E. Lennon at alennon@newbedfordlight.org.
Perhaps Vinyard Wind should think about building a GE blade and Maintenance facility here in New Bedford.Cherbourg France seems,a long way and not very cost-effective place to ship blades,for repair..equally so for Gaspe Quebec. New Bedford has a Long history w electric component manufacturing: Aerovox Cornell Dubilier and is a bit closer to wind turbine development of the East Coast ..Vinyard Wind should consider the,advantages of manufacturing here!
I think we should stop spending government money on what amount to experimental wind turbines when we have mature green technology, like nuclear, that works better. Off-shore wind will never be more cost-effective and reliable than on-shore green energy production. It’s also ecologically damaging, End the boondoggle now!
A blade failing, cannot be compared to a failure at nuclear power plants.
Vineyard Wind does not build wind turbine blades.
GE does.
The y have been building jet engine turbine blades. for decades. in Massachusetts.
If GE thought they could make make money manufacturing wind turbine blades in Massachusetts they would.
GE and GE Vernova are headquartered in Massachusetts.
GE does not own or operate the the facilities where the wind turbine blades are manufactured.
They are investors.
The same a GE branded consumer goods.
Will you lead the way and propose a New Bedford wind turbine blade manufacturing facility complete with financing and employment commitments?
Wind turbine blades are not electrical bits and pieces.
Wind turbine blade manufacturing requires nasty chemicals.
Aerovox Cornell Dubilier have some experience with those.
New Bedford is still cleaning up that mess.
GE will go with the least cost suppliers.
This is America.
There’s no reason that these blades, as well as the towers, and many other turbine components can’t be made in the U.S. The transportation costs alone for the blades and towers would certainly offset any savings in labor and materials they may have realized in Europe and Canada.
GE is a for profit company.
They certainly know the cost of transportation.
They certainly know the cost manufacturing in the US.
Show GE how to do it cheaper.
They want to know.
The blades were never tested for torsion. They are new hybrid 351-foot blades that are cheap and easy to make with little carbon fiber. The prototype blade was tested in the 300-foot Massachusetts test. The blade was cut in two parts and certification data was extrapolated ( assumed).
The 351-foot blades travel in a 700-foot-plus circle. When the wind speed is 40 mph at the top of the circle and 10 mph with fog at the bottom the problems begin. The blade can bend far enough to have the tip of the blade hit the tower. —note# LM Wind Power (formerly LM Glasfiber) was a Danish manufacturer of wind turbine blades that in 1997 had problems with torsion -This problem with the long blades an old problem engineers should have known about at the Massachusetts test center
What is the wind turbine blade failure rate?
Higher than GE’s jet engine turbine blades.
All due respect for the helpful and critical comments of Albert and Haggerty re Vinyard Wind as investor and GE as manufacturer.Know that GE has produced jet engines at Lynn plant for years..had friends who worked there and use of “nasty” chemicals.Really is it less expensive to ship blades 4 at a time across the Atlantic for repair and back than building plant here.?Cant imagine labor costs in France much less than here to say nothing of shipping costs.Re Aerovox and Cornell pollution of harbor..this,was years before federal pollution oversight and frankly both politicians and unknowing workers were more than willing to trade pollution for jobs!Don’t like to bring the Dragon into the convo but frankly China 🇨🇳 produces most of the Turbine blades in the world and with far less drama..perhaps Vinyard or GE should seek out their advise on adhesives!
GE thinks so.
They make jet engines.
W need to look to China for technology?
Technology they stole from us…
Boondoggle , enviro grift, crappy engineering and quality control, and us taxpayers are footing the bill and will
Be forced to eat the higher power costs later, I am sure with more $$ built in to cover all this crap unless GE etc are held accountable
Stop the project now,
too
Much risk to fisheries, whales marine mammals etc with ZERO defined gain and higher lows billla to boot
Boondoggle , enviro grift, crappy engineering and quality control, and us taxpayers are footing the bill and will
Be forced to eat the higher power costs later, I am sure with more $$ built in to cover all this crap unless GE etc are held accountable
Stop the project now,
Huge risk to fisheries, whales marine mammals etc with ZERO defined gain and higher lows billla to boot