TEIL 3 - Windrad Kippt Um - NDR Interview mit Augenzeuge & Experte - Gnoien 08.08.2023

Already defective wind turbine near Gnoien destroyed by gust of wind. A strong gust of wind destroyed a 65-meter-tall, already defective wind turbine at a wind farm south of Gnoien (Rostock district) on Monday. Residents had heard loud noises coming from the direction of the turbine in Dölitz that morning. A pedestrian reported the damage to the wind turbine near Gnoien to the police. About five meters of one blade had broken off, but the rest of the turbine continued to rotate. For safety reasons, Highway 23 between Jördensdorf and Gnoien was closed. While a technician from the operating company was on his way to Dölitz to shut down the defective turbine, the mast collapsed. The turbine with its three blades crashed to the ground. The turbine was built in 1997. According to initial investigations, the wind turbine was destroyed due to a technical defect. Damage to one of the propeller blades caused a constant imbalance. As a result, in strong winds, the 65-meter-high mast structure was subjected to greater forces than it could withstand. Thomas Schröder, a farmer who lives nearby, observed lightning strike the wind turbine last week. On the Stefan Kuna Show on NDR 1 Radio MV, he said the turbine no longer functioned properly afterward. The cost of clearing the area alone is estimated at €50,000. The other five turbines in the wind farm were shut down as a precaution, and the L23 highway was reopened. ---- What went wrong with the wind turbine near Gnoien? There is still much speculation about what caused the wind turbine to topple over. An eyewitness reported on NDR MV Live about a lightning strike that allegedly hit the now-damaged wind turbine last week. For Johann-Georg Jaeger from the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Association for Renewable Energies, one thing is clear: Lightning strikes normally don't harm wind turbines because they are diverted underground. In very rare cases, however, technical problems can occur, as may have happened in Gnoien. The two neighboring turbines are also positioned in a different wind direction than the affected wind turbine. This is the wrong position for the storm, says Jaeger. Then the parking brake for the rotor blades may have failed, causing the wind turbine to start running, and then the wind to hit the damaged turbine – until it finally collapsed. A chain of unfortunate circumstances and not the norm, says Jaeger. ---- How safe are wind turbines? Falling rotor blades, fires, or collapsed towers: To prevent such incidents, wind turbines are regularly maintained and are generally subject to high safety standards. They are also designed from the outset to withstand strong gusts. But where technology is made by humans, mistakes happen, says Johann-Georg Jaeger from the State Association for Renewable Energies. However, even older turbines are generally safe. The wind turbines receive an operating license for 20 years and can only be extended if they are thoroughly inspected, Jaeger explains on NDR MV Live. ---- What happens to the damaged wind turbine now? The disposal of a damaged wind turbine usually involves several steps, explains Johann-Georg Jaeger from the State Association for Renewable Energies. Many of the components are recycled, such as the tower, the foundation, or the nacelle. The rotor blades are shredded and used as additional fuel in cement plants. In newer turbines, the carbon fibers used must be separated during this process. However, this is not the case with the model in Gnoien. A damaged wind turbine is therefore easily recyclable. Source: NDR