What happens when wind turbines break?

On July 13, 2024, the Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind farm located in Massachusetts had a 350-foot turbine blade snap (1), releasing debris into the ocean. The debris, which was composed mainly of fiberglass and plastics, raised environmental concerns, caused beach closures, and required a clean up. (2) The blade failure was believed to be caused by a manufacturing defect at a particular factory in Canada (3). In response, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) required (4) Vineyard Wind to uninstall all blades produced in that factory and reinstall them with different blades. In addition, the manufacturer of the broken wind turbine, GE Vernova, agreed to pay the town of Nantucket $10.5 million (5) to compensate for impacts to the town and local businesses during what was peak summer tourist season.

While such turbine failures are infrequent, they typically occur in the blade mechanisms. Potential reasons for failure include manufacturing defects, adhesive joint degradation, trailing edge failure, or other specific causes. Most failures do not lead to catastrophic breaks but instead to less efficient power yields.

Aerial view of the Vineyard Wind turbine failure taken 8/1/24. Source: Cape Cod Times (7)

To prevent failures in the future, offshore turbines are equipped with alarm systems that utilize sensors to detect vibrations and other issues, allowing operators to quickly shut down and analyze potential issues.

The National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) is researching innovative offshore turbine controls (6) that will reduce structural loads, limit platform motion, and increase reliability for floating turbines. At the same time, manufacturers are pushing to increase the size boundaries for offshore wind turbines. As turbine designs increase (8) in scale, so does the risk of mechanical failure. Prototype testing continues to become increasingly more critical to ensure structural integrity to prevent future catastrophic failures.

References​

1. Lennon, A. E. (2024, December 13). Why did Vineyard Wind’s turbine blade fail? The New Bedford Light. https://newbedfordlight.org/why-did-vineyard-winds-turbine-blade-fail/ 

2. Nilsen, Ella. (2024, July 18). An ‘unusual and rare’ wind turbine failure is littering Nantucket beaches with debris, angering locals. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/18/climate/nantucket-wind-turbine-debris

3. McCarron, Heather. (2025, January 29). Vineyard Wind must replace Canada-made turbine blades with blades made in France. Cape Cod Times. https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/news/2025/01/29/vineyard-wind-cape-cod-offshore-massachusetts-new-england-maura-healey/77973779007/

4. Vineyard Wind 1, OCS-A 0501, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATIONS

   PLAN ADDENDUM. (December 14, 2024). https://www.boem.gov/sites/default/files/documents/renewable-energy/VW1%20COP%20Revision-Blade%20Removal%20Updated.pdf

5. Lennon, Anastasia E. (July 11, 2025). Maker of broken Vineyard Wind blade will pay Nantucket $10.5 million. The New Bedford Light. https://newbedfordlight.org/ge-vernova-to-pay-nantucket-10-5-million-over-broken-wind-blade/

6. Wind Turbine Control Systems. NREL. (2025, February). https://www.nrel.gov/wind/controls-analysis

7. Heaslip, S. (2025, March). Photos. an airplane view of the Vineyard Wind Turbine Blade that broke apart. Cape Cod Times. https://www.capecodtimes.com/picture-gallery/news/2024/08/02/vineyard-wind-turbine-blade-photos/74641812007/

8. Wind Turbines: the Bigger, the Better. Energy.gov. (2024b, August 21). https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/wind-turbines-bigger-better#:~:text=Hub%20Height,A%20wind%20turbine’s&text=That’s%20taller%20than%20the%20Statue,the%20Washington%20Monument%2C%20in%202035.