Vineyard Wind blade detaches, suspending construction

By Heather Richards | 07/18/2024 01:28 PM EDT

Vineyard is one of the first large offshore wind projects in the U.S.

Giant wind turbine blades for the Vineyard Wind project are stacked on large racks in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Giant wind turbine blades for the Vineyard Wind project are stacked on large racks in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Charles Krupa/AP

A broken offshore wind blade, which scattered debris in the water off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, over the weekend and briefly closed beaches, detached from the tower Thursday, according to the developer.

Vineyard Wind said a “significant part” of the 350-foot GE Vernova blade came off Thursday morning even as maritime crews worked through the night to respond to the dangling blade in difficult weather.

“A fleet of vessels remains at sea managing the situation and working to remove bulk debris,” the company said in a statement. “We have deployed additional crews to Nantucket Island in anticipation that more debris could wash ashore tonight and tomorrow.”

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It was not clear Thursday what caused the fiberglass blade to break or how soon the company would be able to resolve the incident. The turbine was in the process of being commissioned and still undergoing testing.

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