Emergency inspections are reportedly being carried out on Enercon wind turbines in Japan, as authorities probe whether a blade flung from one of its machines killed a passerby found unresponsive with multiple injuries.
An 81-year-old man, Takashi Shishido, was found unresponsive in a park in the northern Japanese coastal city of Akita earlier this month with multiple injuries, including to his head, and was later pronounced dead in hospital.
Police have been investigating whether he was killed by a blade that was
caught on video flying from a nearby wind turbine. Part of the blade was photographed lying across a nearby road. It was reportedly found as little as a metre from Shishido.
German turbine-maker Enercon has confirmed to Recharge that the blade came from one of its E-82 turbines, which have a 2.35MW power rating.
Japan’s public broadcaster, NHK, reported today that authorities in Iwate prefecture, which neighbours Akita prefecture, have decided to carry out emergency inspections of 13 other Enercon turbines across multiple sites.
An emergency inspection of other turbines at the wind farm where the incident occurred in Akita was carried out last week, reports NHK, which published photos of technicians on site assessing the machines.
The inspections come as authorities reportedly rush to assure residents that wind turbines are safe.
In a statement to Recharge, an Enercon spokesperson confirmed that "other wind farms with turbines of the same type are currently being checked," meaning that regularly scheduled blade inspections have been "brought forward."
The E-82 turbine whose bladed flew off was “operated and serviced by our local partners," they said.
“Our partners are managing the situation and are in close contact with local authorities. We take the incident seriously and support our partners and the authorities in the investigation of the cause.”
The president of the company that installed the wind turbine, Tokyo-headquartered Sakura Wind Power, visited a local government office to apologise for the incident, NHK reported last week.
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