The blades of a wind turbine at insurance and investment company Aviva’s Pitheavlis site in Perth, Scotland, have collapsed less than a year after being installed.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday 12th September when the blades of the 77-metre-high turbine fell to the ground. The company believes an engineering fault is likely to have caused the failure.
The turbine, named Aurora, was officially opened in November 2023 by Aviva group chief executive Amanda Blanc alongside First Minister John Swinney. It was expected to supply all of the site’s electricity, including power for vehicle charging.
Aviva confirmed that no one was hurt in the collapse. A spokesperson said the turbine tower will be dismantled in the coming days to allow engineers to investigate the fault and plan repairs.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service sent one appliance to the site where the crew made the area safe before leaving.
Local politicians have voiced concern. Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser called the event “unbelievable” and urged an urgent inquiry, warning of risks to safety and to nearby wildlife.
Aviva is working with the turbine supplier to establish the cause of the failure. The company said safety remains its priority.
