Wind

Vestas wind turbines taken offline after 'arson attack'

Suspected arson attack comes as populist politicians increasingly turn their own fire on wind and solar farms

Investigations are ongoing into the suspected arson attack.
Investigations are ongoing into the suspected arson attack.Photo: Cosmo Sanderson
Journalist

Three Vestas wind turbines have been taken offline after they were reportedly set on fire in a suspected arson attack, with investigations ongoing.

The base of the turbines were deliberately damaged by fire last week at a wind farm in the Drôme department in southeastern France, according to a report in French public radio network Ici and other local media.

The 10.5MW wind farm targeted, known as Claves, was developed by Britain’s RES and features six Vestas V66/1750 turbines. The wind farm was brought online in 2006 and purchased by Swiss energy group Alpiq in 2008.

In a statement to Recharge, a RES spokesperson said: “We are aware of vandalism on three wind turbine generators at Claves wind farm and we are working with the relevant authorities to establish the facts.”

“The situation is under control, and no one has been harmed. Our priority remains the safety and security of the site and our people, and investigations are ongoing.”

The spokesperson also confirmed that the three vandalised turbines have been taken out of service while RES assesses the wind farm, with the rest of the site already back in operation.

Danish wind turbine-making giant Vestas was also contacted for comment, confirming that the site is no longer under a Vestas maintenance contract.

The suspected arson incident follows a recent spate of physical attacks against wind farms across Europe.

A knife-wielding mob were condemned as "terrorists" after attacking a wind farm project in Tuscany, Italy in July, the same month a substation for a major RWE project was vandalised in Germany. In December, a man accused of using explosives to conduct a bombing campaign against wind and solar farms in Tenerife was arrested.
Across Europe, right-wing populist politicians, many aping US President Donald Trump, are adopting increasingly extreme rhetoric against wind farms, even calling for them to be torn down.
In June, France’s National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, banned all new wind and solar farms in a shock vote pending a study on their benefits to the country’s energy mix. That amendment in a draft bill was later rejected – but not before giving the country’s renewables sector an almighty scare.
(Copyright)

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Published 8 September 2025, 11:02Updated 8 September 2025, 14:02
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