Vineyard Wind and GE Vernova have released an action plan to safely remove the remaining damaged blade from turbine AW-38, continue debris collection, and resume turbine installation and operations for the vineyard wind 1 project.
GE Vernova's root cause analysis has preliminarily identified a manufacturing deviation as the primary cause of the blade issue, which should have been detected during the quality assurance process at the manufacturing facility. Before an installed turbine at the vineyard wind project can begin or resume power production, the following criteria must be met:
- Re-review ultrasound photos: over 8,300 ultrasound testing (UT) records will be re-processed to ensure bond requirements are satisfied. Any identified issues will undergo further inspection and corrective action.
- Internal visual inspection: advanced remote-controlled drones, known as "crawlers," will be inserted into the blades for a current-state visual inspection. These crawlers, equipped with cameras, will capture photos and videos for technicians to review critical blade elements. Any anomalies will be flagged for further examination before the turbine is put into service.
- Ongoing real-time monitoring with new technology: GE vernova will deploy a new algorithm, utilising existing sensors in the blade to monitor blade health and prevent similar incidents. The algorithm will provide advanced warnings or initiate automatic, safe turbine shutdowns as needed.
The plan also includes vineyard wind’s strategy to resume safe turbine installation and restart operations. No blades will be installed or used until they have been thoroughly inspected.
The blade incident response and action plan, developed in consultation with federal agencies such as the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the U.S. Coast Guard, outlines the steps to recover the remaining blade on the turbine.
