Energy / Turbine blade debris remains in hills months after damage
PARTS of a Viking turbine blade which broke in October remain on the hills around the wind farm site – almost three months later.
SSE Renewables had said in mid-December that preparatory work had been ongoing with turbine contractor Vestas to remove the debris safely.
It said recovery would be completed in the first half of January, before a replacement blade could be installed.
However photos received by Shetland News this week show that parts of the blade remain scattered in the hills around the turbine.
An SSE spokesperson said a “specialist local contractor” had now been appointed to carry out the clean-up effort, which would take “a number of weeks”.
“In line with safety procedures, the affected wind turbine in the north-east section of the site remains disabled and access to this turbine and the surrounding area continues to be restricted,” the company added.
Shetland News received a number of photos from the site, with the person who sent them – who wished to remain anonymous – saying there was “truly a monumental mess of fibreglass and plastic blowing through the hills”.
They said some of the debris was as far as 700m away from the turbine.
The replacement turbine blade arrived in the isles at the start of the year, and was delivered up to the Viking site on 10 January.
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