After a wind turbine belonging to another operator fell over in Haltern am See on Wednesday evening, all six turbines of the same type belonging to the Jüchen A 44n wind farm were immediately shut down. The wind farm is a joint project of RWE, the town of Jüchen and the Mönchengladbach-based energy supplier NEW. Although the exact cause of the damage in Haltern has not yet been clarified, RWE and the wind farm manufacturer in Jüchen immediately cordoned over a wide area. The wind farm is in the commissioning phase and should ultimately be handed over to RWE and its partners by the manufacturer at the end of this year.
As early as August, RWE noticed damage to the tower of one of the turbines, shut it down immediately as a precaution and initiated appropriate safety measures. The damage was assessed together with the manufacturer and a recalculation of the structural analysis was requested. In addition, an expert has been commissioned and the responsible authorities were informed. Already at the beginning of this week, the dismantling of these rotor blades, the nacelle and parts of the tower was agreed upon with the manufacturer.
RWE is in close contact with the responsible authorities to clarify any further safety measures in the vicinity and the nearby motorway. The dismantling of the rotor blades on the other five turbines is also being examined.
It is not yet possible to estimate when the remaining wind turbines will begin full operations, and which repair or replacement concepts for the wind turbines can be considered.