Wind Turbine accident near Glasgow

A turbine blade 150ft long broke off one of the turbines at the Whiteless wind farm near Glasgow, on 19 Mar 2010.

The blade weighs 14 tons and is made of fibreglass. It broke off during a wind and fell to the base of the supporting tower.

Scottish Power Renewables attributed then accident to mechanical failure or a lightning strike.

The other turbines were shut down whilst the manufacturers, Siemens, did an inspection. It was expected that this would take about a week.

The rated capacity of the Whiteless wind farm is 322MW. There are 140 turbines so far. By 2012 there will be 215.

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