A wind turbine in western Victoria collapses after severe thunderstorms, raising questions about the safety of the state's wind farms. An engineering expert says the incident is 'totally unacceptable' given the turbine's age. Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the collapse.
An engineering expert has labeled the collapse of a wind turbine in western Victoria this week as 'totally unacceptable', considering the turbines were only two years old. The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday morning, after parts of the state experienced severe thunderstorms and damaging winds ranging from 60 to 70 kilometers per hour.
Associate Professor of structural engineering at Monash University Amin Heidarpour stated that the wind turbine should have been capable of withstanding such strong winds. He believes the failure most likely originated in the blades. Dr. Heidarpour explained that while wind turbines are designed to last for 30 years, components like blades, gearboxes, generators, and other smaller parts may require repairs or replacements more frequently. He emphasized that Australian wind farm infrastructure is built to withstand winds of at least 108kph, depending on the location and intensity of wind speed fluctuations. The ABC has reached out to Global Power Generation, the operator of the BerryBank Wind Farm and a subsidiary of Spanish company Naturgy. The company previously informed the ABC that the remaining wind turbines at the site had been temporarily paused, and the area was secured. They confirmed there were no injuries or fatalities resulting from the incident. The government assured that a comprehensive framework is in place to investigate such occurrences, with WorkSafe and Energy Safe Victoria collaborating with the industry to ensure adherence to various standards. Dr. Heidarpour, however, cautioned against unwarranted calls for a safety audit of the state's wind farms by the Victorian opposition, pending the outcome of ongoing investigations. He pointed out that wind farms have been operational in Victoria for over 20 years, with approximately 41 farms and 2,500 wind turbines currently in operation. He stressed the need to first determine the root cause of this recent failure before deciding whether a comprehensive assessment of all turbines is necessary
Wind Turbine Collapse Victoria Safety Infrastructure Storms
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