Offshore wind developers have dispatched teams to tidy up beaches on Nantucket Island, a well-liked summer spot for tourists, after a blade from one of their turbines was damaged. Vineyard Wind announced on Tuesday that they are organizing crews on Nantucket to pick up debris on the south-facing shores following a blade damage incident over the weekend. They are cooperating with the U.S. Coast Guard to enforce a safety zone of 500 meters around the affected offshore turbine. The debris, described as harmless fiberglass fragments, is expected to wash ashore in pieces of one square foot or smaller.
Vineyard Wind expressed their dedication to promptly and safely clearing all debris, with a strong emphasis on community safety and environmental protection. The joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners stated that nobody was in the vicinity of the turbine when the damage happened. The analysis into the incident’s root cause will be carried out by blade manufacturer and installation contractor GE.
The expansive wind turbines of the project commenced transmitting electricity to the grid last winter. Vineyard Wind plans to deploy trained personnel to collect the debris in the upcoming days.
