Reports suggest that the debris from the Ormonde offshore wind farm turbine fall could be widespread.
The fall was said to be caused by a “disappointing” maintenance work error. Vattenfall said turbine parts fell into the sea at the Ormonde Wind Farm six miles (10km) off the coast at Barrow, Cumbria.
A spokesman for Vattenfall said: “An incident during planned maintenance resulted in components falling into the sea. No one was injured, but we alerted the relevant authorities immediately and we have launched a full investigation. We take environmental protection extremely seriously and are very disappointed that this incident occurred. We are working as hard as we can to get everything cleaned up. The debris is not harmful but it’s best not to touch it, just to make sure everyone stays accident-free.”
Several members of the public have reported finding pieces on beaches. Vattenfall said it was investigating the cause and has asked people to report finds but not to remove items.
Report debris by calling 0333 4141 912.
Project background
Ormonde Offshore Wind Farm is located in the Irish Sea, around 10km from the coast at Barrow-in-Furness in the North-West of the UK.
In 2015 Vattenfall entered a partnership with Swedish pension group AMF. The partnership agreement means that AMF owns a 49% share. Vattenfall continues to operate the wind farm as the majority shareholder. Vattenfall’s partnership strategy aims at supporting wind growth and the shift to renewables.
The Wind Farm Operations and Maintenance (O&M) facility is located on the dockside in Barrow Harbour. More than 800 UK jobs have been supported through the development, construction and operation of the project.
In its lifetime Ormonde Offshore Wind Farm has generated over 1939.5GWh.
