Developer seeks payout after GE Vernova wind turbine collapse
Incident left 75MW wind farm in Lithuania with lost production, according to Enefit Green
A Lithuanian state-owned renewables developer is seeking a payout over the collapse of a GE Vernova wind turbine.
Enefit Green, a subsidiary of state energy company Eesti Energia, is pursuing the action following lost production related to the incident last year.
"The parties have not yet reached agreement on the settlement of contractual and other claims," said the spokesperson, continuing that Enefit is "committed to seeking rightful compensation for the revenue losses incurred due to the incident."
Enefit is unable to confirm how much it is claiming while negotiations are underway, said the spokesperson.
The turbine collapse took place in May 2023 and brought operations at the 75MW Akmene wind farm to a halt. The wind farm features 14 GE 158-5.X turbines.
Enefit said in September following an investigation that “analysis has led to the conclusion that a malfunctioning sensor sent incorrect information to the turbine controller which led to an excessive load on the tower structure and resulted in the collapse of the turbine.”
GE had identified and was implementing “additional protective measures to prevent any recurrence of this specific or similar incident in the future,” said Enefit.
Enefit gradually brought the other 13 turbines at the wind farm back online from September onwards, with plans to replace the collapsed turbine in the first half of this year.
Enefit said that, as well as replacing the collapsed turbine, another would have its nacelle replaced due to a technical issue.
Enefit previously reported that the turbine collapse and wind farm closure meant its wind power production in Lithuania was significantly lower than expected in 2023.
The developer also said it had to buy 31.8% of the electricity required to meet its obligations under power purchase agreements from the market.
A GE Vernova spokesperson said: “We stand behind the quality of our turbines. We are in discussions with the customer on this issue to resolve the matter.”