Rotor leaf termination shakes Uckermark: What is behind it?

Rotor leaf termination shakes Uckermark: What is behind it?

Uckerland, Deutschland - A loud bang made Carmen Flemming, operator of the Rosenhof Flemming in Karlstein. This came from a wind turbine in the nearby Lübbenow 3 wind farm, where a rotor leaf about 70 meters long has broken off. The incident occurred during the commissioning of the system, which has been in operation since September 26, 2019 and has a hub height of 123 meters. Unsettled by the sudden bang that screamed her when watering the plants, she now has great concerns about the safety of wind turbines in the area, especially when it comes to the background noise that would be unbearable for her guests.

The cause of the accident has so far been unknown. A request from the operator Notus Energie in Potsdam remained unanswered. There were similar incidents in the region in the past. For example, on January 3, 2017, a rotor leaf dropped out of a facility that has been in operation since 2003. The operator, Energiekontor AG Bremen, was also surprised at the time and commissioned an expert opinion on the cause research, since a defect in a sensor of the pitch regulation was considered a possible explanation.

defective and security concerns

Before this current incident, several accidents on wind turbines in Brandenburg have already been registered. A small request from the CDU parliamentary group in August 2023 counted five such incidents in just two and a half years. It is also striking that there are no comprehensive statistics on accidents on wind turbines in Brandenburg. The state government also admits that there is no complete data on the dismantling of wind turbines.

This incident is in the context of the constant expansion of wind energy in Germany. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, wind power began as a significant source of energy, and since then the market has continuously developed. According to Windbranche.de, the industry has been stabilizing at a lower level since 2021 after there have been high and depths in the past decades. In 2024, high quantities of over 11,000 MW are planned, which could boost the addition of the systems. By the end of 2024, over 30,000 wind turbines with a total of around 72,700 MW are in operation.

the look into the future

Wind energy continues to have a key role for Germany, not only for environmental reasons, but also economically. The employment area in the wind industry, which reached a highlight with 164,500 employees in 2016, has currently decreased to around 124,600 employees. However, with the ambitious expansion goals, the need for skilled workers are again increasing. Information about the personnel developments in the industry can be viewed at Wind-energie.de.

New steel plates that were laid for the transport of further wind turbines between Prenzlau and Uckerland indicate that the expansion in the region continues to progress. The skepticism of Carmen and Maik Flemming in terms of noise pollution remains a constant topic. The balance between a sustainable energy future and the quality of life of the residents will probably be one of the challenges with which the region will have to deal with in the coming years.