Asbestos found in second major wind turbine company sparking safety fears
Workers face potential exposure to the deadly substance – which was banned in Australia two decades ago – with turbines now quarantined across multiple wind farms.
Asbestos has been found in foreign-built turbines of two more wind farm companies as concerns grow about worker and community safety across the country.
SafeWork NSW said it is investigating wind farm operators after asbestos was found in brake pads used on lifts inside turbines operated by Goldwind Australia in Tasmania.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal workers with another wind turbine company, Vestas, were called in last week and warned that asbestos had also been found in its brake pads.
Beijing Energy International Australia also confirmed asbestos had been found at its Biala wind farm near Gunnedah in northern NSW.
NSW Work Health and Safety Minister Sophie Cotsis launched National Asbestos Awareness Week on November 24, warning “unsafe work practices” with asbestos put workers at risk “of a fatal disease”.
Nationals leader David Littleproud said turbine workers and the community needed to be reassured they were safe from a substance that was banned in Australia in 2003.
“This is what happens when you go down a path of renewables only and tie yourself to a target of net zero by 2050,” he said.
“Now we are seeing the consequences.”
Goldwind Australia confirmed the presence of asbestos in brake pads for internal lifts that were supplied by a Chinese manufacturer called 3S Industry.
The pads were found at Goldwind’s Cattle Hill Wind Farm in Tasmania.
A company spokesman said: “Goldwind has shared this information with other companies in the industry.”
Danish owned renewable energy company Vestas supplies and operates wind farms including the Rye Park Wind Farm outside Yass in NSW.
It said it also received brake parts that may contain asbestos.
“Vestas has taken immediate action to ensure that the limited number of turbines that may have a risk of exposure to asbestos are quarantined, and hoists potentially replaced while further investigations are carried out,” a spokeswoman said.
Australian Workers Union National Secretary Paul Farrow said “blindly” importing parts from China was putting workers’ lives at risk.
“This latest discovery highlights the risks of relying entirely on overseas supply chains for Australia’s renewable energy transition,” he said.
Mr Farrow said local content could be easily boosted to 40 per cent.
“We need to get serious about using more Australian-made parts in our wind turbines,” he said.
Goulburn MP Wendy Tuckerman has three Goldwind farms in her electorate and said the discovery of asbestos raised concerns about the safety of workers and the community.
“This is a serious concern and we need to have an understanding of exactly what the risks are,” she said.
A SafeWork NSW spokesman said exposure to hazardous substances such as asbestos was a regulatory priority and it had “commenced inquiries with the businesses involved”.
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Originally published as Asbestos found in second major wind turbine company sparking safety fears
