More Vineyard Wind Blades To Be Removed As Part Of Action Plan

MASSACHUSETTS — GE Vernova and Vineyard Wind announced that more wind turbine blades will be removed as part of the action plan that developed in the wake of this summer's wind turbine failure.

The news was first disclosed during a GE Vernova earnings call on Wednesday, and later published to the Vineyard Wind website as part of a larger explainer on the implementation process of the incident response and action plan.

Officials said they conducted quality checks that included re-examining more than 8,300 ultrasound images. Those quality checks gave officials enough reason to remove "some" blades from the Vineyard Wind farm.

The company said they would also strengthen other blades, though officials noted both of these steps were "out of an abundance of caution."

GE Vernova and Vineyard Wind said they received approval on Tuesday to begin installing new blades on turbines, but only once "stringent safety and operational conditions are met."

"The companies will continue to make progress on these elements in upcoming weeks prior to installation," officials said.

In the wake of the blade failure in July, GE Vernova said they began work with Resolve Marine, a company it said is on of the world's "leading salvage" companies, with federal supervision.

This work included blade rotations to reduce debris, removal of the remaining blade portion that was hanging from the turbine, debris clearance from the platform and addressing seabed debris.

The first three tasks have been completed, company officials said, the seabed debris portion is on schedule to be finished this week. Officials said the root of the blade will be removed from the rotor hub in the coming weeks.

Locals are still waiting to learn the full scope of the environmental impact of the blade failure, though company officials shared an update at a Nantucket meeting on Sept. 18. that included findings on the chemical composition of blade debris and ongoing efforts to sample the water column, sediment and shellfish.

Officials said the sampling and analysis work has begun, and the results will be shared in the coming weeks.