Destructive storm brings down wind turbine, prompting safety concerns
A 112m wind turbine has collapsed after severe thunderstorms wreaked havoc in one state, prompting this call.
Sustainability
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sustainability. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A wind turbine has collapsed in Victoria’s west after severe thunderstorms wreaked havoc on the state, prompting calls for a statewide audit amid safety concerns.
Photos of the Berrybank Wind Farm, located 80km west of Geelong, show the 112m turbine, including the blades, nacelle and hub, toppled to the ground. It’s believed to have collapsed in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
No injuries have been reported following the turbine’s collapse, with WorkSafe setting up a temporary exclusion zone while an investigation into the collapse takes place.
Vestas, the service and maintenance operations provider for the wind farms in Berrybank and Golden Plains, said lightning and destructive activity generated during the thunderstorms on Monday night were being investigated as the cause of the collapse.
“A preliminary investigation is focusing on lightning strikes in the area during severe storms on Monday 3 February which caused damage across the state,” a Vestas spokesman told the Herald Sun.
“An incident management team has been formed, and site staff will be undertaking a detailed assessment of all wind turbines at Berrybank stage 1 and stage 2.”
This is the third incident at the farms following the death of a subcontractor at Golden Plains in November after a blade, which was being prepared for installation, fell and crushed the man.
In September, small turbine blade parts detached and fell to the ground at Golden Plains.
No injuries were reported.
The operations of the wind turbine have since been suspended, prompting opposition housing and emergency services spokesman Richard Riordan to demand the Allan government undergo a safety audit on the wind farms.
“With thousands of these Rialto tall towers across a fire prone landscape and close to roads and communities the fear of uncontrolled fires and random collapses must be dealt with,” he said.
“How many don’t have fire suppression? Was yesterday’s collapse a one-off or a structural flaw?”
However, on Wednesday, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan argued the opposition was using the incident to “attack the renewable energy transition”.
“This is form. This is a pattern of behaviour,” she said.
Originally published as Destructive storm brings down wind turbine, prompting safety concerns
Trendy Aussie area now ’maggot-infested’
A statewide mandate has divided residents and councils with some saying the scheme has turned their area into a “garbage tip”.
Surprise issue that could swing election
New polling has revealed an under-the-radar issue which could swing voters in vital key seats the both sides must either retain or are looking to win.