Specialist renewable energy underwriter GCube Underwriting Ltd has drawn on its proprietary claims database to analyse the causes and frequency of wind turbine blade failures.
GCube says that the overall reliability and performance of wind turbine blades have suffered in recent years and has suggested proactive mitigation measures to counter this inherent risk to wind energy assets and investments.
In its new report, GCube says that there are an estimated 700 000 blades in operation globally and approximately 3800 incidents of blade failure each year. "Blade incidents can cost in the order of $1 million to resolve and there is a clear industry imperative to ensure that these failures are kept to a minimum," GCube said.
The firm said in a statement that the integrity of wind turbine blades had suffered because manufacturers were under increasing pressure to deliver cost competitive electricity generation through larger turbines with minimum unscheduled downtime and longer, lighter rotor blades.
Common causes of blade failure include lightning damage, human error and manufacturing defects.
"As the wind industry looks to attract secondary investment from the pension and fund management communities, blade failure and the associated business interruption costs - exacerbated by the shift into emerging markets and growing pressure on manufacturers - can be an unwelcome deterrent," said Jatin Sharma, Business Development Leader, GCube.
"Ultimately it's in the interests of all parties to minimise unscheduled downtime and the frequency and severity of turbine failure," added Sharma. "The Breaking Blades report is by no means an answer to the problem, but should serve to raise further questions and create opportunities for greater industry-wide collaboration."
Sian Crampsie
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