GE Vernova intends to remove some blades from Vineyard Wind farm

GE Vernova (GEV) and Vineyard Wind provided an update on the implementation of their Incident and Response and Action Plan announced in August. The plan outlined steps to safely remove the remainder of the damaged blade on turbine AW-38, remove any remaining debris, complete environmental studies, implement actions for blade readiness for service, and, ultimately, resume turbine installation and operations of the Vineyard Wind 1 project. With respect to removal of the AW-38 blade involved in the July event, GE Vernova committed to undertaking several tasks with Resolve Marine under supervision of a federal interagency. Those tasks included blade rotations to reduce blade debris, the removal of the hanging portion of the blade, clearing of debris from the platform, and addressing seabed debris. The first three tasks have been completed and the fourth, the removal of seabed debris, began on October 13, 2024, and will be completed this week. The final task, removal of the root of the blade from the rotor hub, is expected to occur in the coming weeks. Following the initial assessment of environmental impacts from the blade incident, GE Vernova laid out further plans to conduct a more comprehensive analysis. The plan outlined GE Vernova’s three-stage approach to preparing blades for an anticipated return to service. After implementing extensive quality checks and out of an abundance of caution, GE Vernova intends to remove some blades from the Vineyard Wind farm while strengthening other blades as needed to support the safety and operational readiness of this project. Following authorization in mid-August to resume certain activities, eight new towers and nacelles have been installed on the project. On October 22, the companies were granted approval to return to installing new blades on turbines at the project once stringent safety and operational conditions are met. The companies will continue to make progress on these elements in upcoming weeks prior to installation. As GE Vernova and Vineyard Wind focus on these critical pathways, the final step in the action plan – operations and power production – will resume only after additional progress is made and all requisite approvals are granted.