Wind Turbine Blade Breaks Off During Testing in Liepāja; Nordex to Investigate
On Wednesday evening, a blade from a Nordex wind turbine broke and fell at the Rapsoil wind park construction site in Liepāja during testing. No injuries were reported, and all 12 turbines have been halted pending investigation.
An incident occurred on Wednesday between 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM at the Rapsoil wind park construction site in Liepāja, where one of the three blades of a newly installed Nordex wind turbine broke off and fell. At the time, wind speeds were around 20–22 meters per second, which is within the normal operating range for this type of turbine.
Paulus Ugianskis, head of communications at Rapsoil, confirmed that no one was injured in the incident and the area has been cordoned off. He explained that the turbines have not yet been handed over to the project owner, so the investigation into the cause will be carried out by the international turbine manufacturer Nordex. As a precaution, all 12 turbines at the site have been temporarily stopped while the investigation is ongoing.
Ugianskis emphasized that the turbines were in the testing phase, aimed at identifying potential technical issues before commissioning. Any decision regarding compensation from Nordex will be made after the investigation is complete. Zita Lazdane, head of the Public Relations and Marketing Department of the Liepāja municipality, stated that the site is under 24-hour surveillance, so the footage will be reviewed. She added that the damage is mechanical and that all 12 turbines are scheduled for inspection.
The Rapsoil wind park in Liepāja consists of 12 turbines with a total capacity of 57.6 MW, located along the 14th November Boulevard. The towers are 82.5 meters high, and the total height with blades reaches nearly 150 meters. According to Firmas.lv, Rapsoil reported a turnover of €30,508 and a loss of €527,089 last year. The company was founded in 2002, has a share capital of €35,175,246, and is owned by the Lithuanian company UAB Enervia. Nordex, founded in 1985, manufactures turbines ranging from 4 to 7 MW and operates in over 30 countries, with factories in Germany, Spain, Brazil, the USA, and India.
