Broken turbine blades sparks safety concerns at new wind farms in Scotland

Sneddon Law Wind Farm in Ayrshire only opened this year, making it one of Scotland’s newest wind farms, and last week a third of a 49-metre blade snapped off. Since the incident, the 14 other turbines on the wind farm have remained operational which has also worried many locals who want it to be shut down for a full investigation.

This follows another incident at a Scottish wind farm in Shetland, known as Viking Energy Wind Farm, where a blade was damaged after a month of being operational.

The turbines at both wind farms were supplied by Danish manufacturer Vestas.

The fact that a turbine blade has failed so soon after opening, and at two different wind farms, is very concerning. Is it a coincidence or is it something much more serious and systemic that’s going to repeat itself?

With many new wind farms being proposed in the Scottish Borders, this has reignited fears among residents about the safety of their communities. If more projects are green lighted, what can be done to ensure this doesn’t happen? With demand for turbines being so high, what is the industry going to do to ensure these preventable incidents don’t happen again?

(Image: Rachel Connor/Facebook)