‘Wind turbines must not be a danger to the public' warns Energy Secretary Ed Davey
The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change has warned wind farm operators not to let their turbines become a danger to the public after a turbine collapsed near Holsworthy on Sunday.
Ed Davey MP, spoke out in the House of Commons after being asked about the 35-metre turbine collapsing at East Ash Farm, in Bradworthy in the early hours of Sunday.
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The collapsed wind turbine in the field at East Ash Farm on Sunday morning, shortly after it fell.
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The collapsed wind turbine in the field at East Ash Farm on Sunday morning, shortly after it fell.
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The collapsed wind turbine in the field at East Ash Farm on Sunday morning, shortly after it fell.
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The collapsed wind turbine in the field at East Ash Farm on Sunday morning, shortly after it fell.
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The collapsed wind turbine in the field at East Ash Farm on Sunday morning, shortly after it fell.
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The collapsed wind turbine in the field at East Ash Farm on Sunday morning, shortly after it fell.
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The collapsed wind turbine at East Ash Farm in Bradworthy. Photo by Phil Ashmore.
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The collapsed wind turbine at East Ash Farm in Bradworthy, North Devon.
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The collapsed wind turbine at East Ash Farm in Bradworthy, North Devon.
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The collapsed wind turbine at East Ash Farm in Bradworthy, North Devon.
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The collapsed wind turbine at East Ash Farm in Bradworthy, North Devon.
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The collapsed wind turbine at East Ash Farm in Bradworthy, North Devon.
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The collapsed wind turbine at East Ash Farm in Bradworthy, North Devon.
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The collapsed wind turbine at East Ash Farm in Bradworthy, North Devon.
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The collapsed wind turbine at East Ash Farm in Bradworthy, North Devon.
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The collapsed wind turbine at East Ash Farm in Bradworthy, North Devon.
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The collapsed wind turbine at East Ash Farm in Bradworthy, North Devon.
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The collapsed wind turbine at East Ash Farm in Bradworthy, North Devon.
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The collapsed wind turbine at East Ash Farm in Bradworthy, North Devon.
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The collapsed wind turbine at East Ash Farm in Bradworthy, North Devon.
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The collapsed wind turbine at East Ash Farm in Bradworthy, North Devon.
Mr Davey said: "Clearly, people who develop and run and maintain wind farms, as with any sort of industrial installation, have to make sure that they are fit and aren't a danger to the public.
"Otherwise various authorities will come down on them and they will find themselves liable."
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Both Dulas Ltd, the company who installed the turbine, and the Health and Safety Executive are investigating the incident.
Bob Barfoot, from the Devon branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, who is also a planning consultant and engineer, said he has never seen a similar incident occur.
He said: "This is very worrying, you see turbines catch fire or lose blades more regularly but I don't think I have seen one like this before.
"Not having investigated it myself I don't know what has caused it but it has obviously collapsed from the bottom of the tower.
"We are now all just waiting to see the outcome of the investigations which will be revealed at some point.
"I think this will make landowners have second thoughts about installing a turbine though."
Comments
by Vindpust
Saturday, February 02 2013, 2:11AM
“Mr Davey speaks with a forked tongue.
His department has evidence of dozens of accidents in the UK with small and large turbines. There is plentiful technical evidence on blade throw distances, for example, but DECC has consistently refused to inconvenience its friends in the wind industry (in the past they have seconded personnel to DECC) by introducing safety zones which mirror the facts of blade throw distances.
This is not a minor matter, the latest turbine blades are up to 61m long and getting bigger, they can weigh up to 18 tonnes. They disintegrate or fly off with monotonous regularity, yet we still allow large turbines to be built with only small margin over topple height from roads, footpaths and pubic places.
Privately the wind industry is more circumspect:
"2. Stay and Traffic by the turbine [sic]
Do not stay within a radius of 400m (1300ft0 from the turbine unless it is necessary. If you have to inspect an operating turbine from the ground do not stay under the rotor plane but observe the rotor from the front." (Vestas, 'Mechanical Operating and Maintenance Manual, V90 – 3.0 MW' (29.06.2007).”