Vietnam wind turbine blade collapse results in $8M loss

Speaking at a meeting with businesses on Monday, committee chairman Pham Van Thieu said the developer of the Hoa Binh Windo Power No. 5 project, Hacom Bac Lieu Energy JSC, had submitted a preliminary report on the incident.

The company said the damage estimate of VND200 billion "is just initial." The blades fell from 140 meters high in the sky before shattering on the ground.

"The official [damages] figure and the cause of the incident are being reviewed and determined by the investor in coordination with specialized agencies," Thieu said.

Attending the meeting, Tran Phu Chien, board chairman of Hacom Bac Lieu Energy, declined to answer further questions related to the incident.

Hoa Binh District residents heard a loud noise at around 5 p.m. Friday, and some reported seeing wing blades falling to the ground at Hoa Binh Wind Power No. 5.

The shattering of the blades, each of which was 80 meters long and three meters wide, saw pieces strewn about within a radius of 50 square meters of the crash site. Fortunately, no one was injured.

Ho Van Linh, chairman of Hoa Binh District, stated that the investor had stopped operations of the wind turbine poles for inspection after the accident. The plant is expected to resume operation within Monday.

Authorities have asked the investor to conduct regular inspections to ensure technical safety and prevent similar incidents.

 

 

Vietnam wind turbine blade collapse results in M loss

Hiện trường cánh quạt điện gió rơi từ độ cao hơn 140 m

Coastal wind power has been rapidly developed in Hoa Binh District as of late.

The locality is home to four wind power plants, combining for a total capacity of 270 MW. The plant involved in the incident has a total investment of over VND3.7 trillion, a capacity of 80 MW, and was inaugurated in April 2022.

The project occupies an area of nearly 30 ha with 26 turbine poles over 140 m high, with an average production capacity of 280 million kWh/year. It is the largest wind power facility in the coastal Mekong Delta region.

Bac Lieu Province currently has eight wind power plants currently in operation with a total capacity of nearly 470 MW. Two more facilities are expected to open soon and bring combined capacity to 660 MW.

The province’s total wind power output to date has reached over 3.35 billion kWh.