Blade blasted

By Meg Kennedy

A bolt of lightning has caused a windfarm turbine blade to blast off at Lal Lal, following a thunderstorm last week.

The incident is estimated to have occurred at around 6.40pm on Sunday, 15 September, on Tower 9 at the Yendon section of Lal Lal Wind Farm, near Spreadeagle Road.

Wind farm operator Vestas confirmed in a statement that “damage [was] sustained to a blade at Tower 9 after an electrical storm passed through the area.”

“We are investigating the cause of the blade failure and will provide more information once the investigation has concluded.

There has been no property damage nor is there any safety risks for the local community,” said the statement.

A spokesperson for Vestas later told the Moorabool News that “we have cleared half of the turbines located in the Yendon section for operation,” and the company was “still carrying out inspections for the remaining turbines.”

Although the root cause of the incident is yet to be determined, the spokesperson said that “we would like to conclude our investigation and root cause analysis as soon as possible,” although “it is difficult for us to commit to a time frame, as sometimes the determination of the root cause can be complicated and often involve different parties.

“We are working very closely with our customer and other stakeholders toward a timely conclusion,” said the spokesperson.

Lal Lal Wind Farm spans 2,100ha around Elaine and Yendon, where construction commenced in March 2018.