Posted on August 28, 2024
After weeks of avoiding questions from the community, GE Vernova and Vineyard Wind have responded to a list of inquiries from the Town of Nantucket. Those answers are included below, along with relevant context. Some questions and answers have been abbreviated or omitted for brevity or edited for grammatical correctness.
- Question: Has this incident occurred elsewhere?
Answer: A Haliade 220-X blade incident has not occurred elsewhere due to a manufacturing deviation. There was an offshore blade event in the UK, but it was due to an unrelated installation issue. Answered by GE Vernova.
Context: While this answer is factually correct, it is worded to avoid mentioning similar issues that have occurred with a series of GE Vernova blades other than the Haliade 220-X.
- Question: How long do we expect debris to wash up?
Answer: On August 14, 2024, the companies safely completed the removal of the hanging pieces of the affected blade through a safe controlled cutting operation. They also removed the debris that settled on the turbine platform. They are now advancing to the next step of the action plan by preparing for the removal of the blade root and addressing debris on the seafloor. The companies maintain teams at sea, by air, and on the shore in Nantucket and surrounding areas to address any additional debris that may be found. Answered by Vineyard Wind and GE Vernova.
Context: Both companies continue to avoid answering the question, providing no timeline on when debris will stop washing up on Nantucket’s shores.
- Question: What is the remaining risk from debris already in the ocean?
Answer: The Initial Environmental Assessment prepared by Arcadis, dated July 23, 2024, reported that the current primary potential risk from debris being encountered on the beaches is injury to people who may physically contact the blade debris, (such as shards of fiberglass) on public beach and shoreline areas. For more information please review the Initial Environmental Assessment document. As outlined in the August 9 action plan, Arcadis is engaging in further analyses regarding potential impacts of debris in the ocean. Answered by GE Vernova.
- Question: How many wind projects are Vineyard Wind and its supplier undertaking in the US?
Answer: Vineyard Wind 1, LLC, specifically operates the Vineyard Wind project, while GE Vernova also supplied turbines for other U.S. projects, such as the Block Island Wind Farm in Rhode Island, which features five Haliade 6MW turbines installed in 2016. Answered by Vineyard Wind and GE Vernova.
Context: Vineyard Wind is owned by Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. Avangrid is involved with seven other onshore wind projects and three other offshore wind projects, several of which will be constructed in the waters near Nantucket.
- Question: Who collects and supplies the data?
Answer: Not answered.
Context: Some have worried that the monitoring data gathered about Vineyard Wind may not be impartial if it is collected by the company, or using their equipment or vessels. Vineyard Wind has not responded to several questions on the topic.
- Question: When did Arcadia receive the safety data sheets?
Answer: Not answered.
Context: A clearer understanding of the timeline could help pinpoint where things went wrong.
- Question: How much microplastic is present in the water?
Answer: At the August 7 Select Board meeting, Christian Petitpas, Shellfish Program Leader at the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, stated in part: “There was a study that found that in fact pretty much all of your shellfish has microplastics in it…so the challenge is going to be discerning what this additional risk may be.” Answered by GE Vernova.
- Question: What chemicals are being released, and are they toxic?
Answer: At the August 7 Select Board meeting, Wendy Heiger-Bernays, Chief of Research at the Office of Research and Standards at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, stated: “it is very unlikely that there is any significant risk to people or aquatic organisms from direct exposure to chemicals from that debris that is attributed to that incident.” Answered by GE Vernova.
Context: It remains unclear exactly what chemicals have been released into the ocean.
- Question: What actions did the Natural Resources Department and other island conservation organizations take to ensure the protection of breeding shorebirds on Nantucket’s beaches?
The Natural Resources Department, along with other island conservation organizations, conducted checks on Town-owned and managed beaches where protected breeding shorebirds are known to nest. This included sites with active breeding shorebirds. In coordination with Vineyard Wind and their contracted clean-up crews, these sites were inspected to ensure there were no impacts on the protected shorebirds. This work followed best management practices for state and federally-protected shorebird species and complied with Emergency State Wildlife protection licenses issued to Vineyard Wind. There were no recorded instances of interference with the breeding shorebirds, and shorebird monitors successfully located all known breeding birds for verification.
- Question: How will this affect commercial sea life?
Answer: At the August 7 Select Board meeting, Christian Petitpas, Shellfish Program Leader at the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, stated in part: “Based on the info we have right now we are not advising any behavioral changes in consuming shellfish.” Answered by GE Vernova
Context: While this addresses the effect on consumers, it does not answer how the fishery will be affected. It is possible that the debris could harm shellfish directly or indirectly without making them toxic for consumers.
- Question: What is the risk of fiberglass to people and sea life?
Answer: Arcadis’ initial assessment states that the current primary potential risk is injury to people who may physically contact the blade debris, (such as shards of fiberglass) on public beach and shoreline areas. Answered by GE Vernova.
Context: While this answer acknowledges fiberglass is a risk, it does not answer the question about what that risk is, nor does it address how fiberglass will affect sea life.
- Question: Are the blades prepared for typhoons and hurricanes, and what is the confidence level in their stability through high winds?
Answer: The Haliade-X 220 turbine is type-certified as per IEC 61400 guidelines. This certification includes Typhoon wind conditions. In addition to this, the turbine was assessed for a 500-year storm condition, specific to Vineyard Wind site conditions. Answered by GE Vernova.
- Question: What activities are allowed after the incident?
Answer: The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has issued an updated Suspension Order that enables Vineyard Wind to resume certain limited additional activities, including the installation of towers and nacelles – components not associated with the blade event that occurred on July 13, 2024. The current Suspension Order does not allow for blade installation or power production. Vineyard Wind is also permitted to install array cables and perform survey work in the lease area. Answer provided by Vineyard Wind.
Context: Vineyard Wind initially suggested that BSEE had stopped all activities, but some activities are still allowed.
- Question: Is there quality control on the transformer platform?
Answer: The offshore substation (OSS) and the OSS platform both undergo rigorous quality control inspections. Those products are not manufactured or installed by GE Vernova, but by separate companies. The manufacturing, installation, and operation of those components do not involve blades and are unrelated to the blade event that occurred on July 13, 2024. Answer provided by Vineyard Wind.
- Question: How much resin is in each blade, in pounds? How much epichlorohydrin is used?
Answer: Not answered.
Context: Both companies continue to avoid questions about the material composition of the blade.
- Question: What was the issue with the second mold in Chebog, France, and were any blades affected by it?
Answer: The facility earlier this year experienced an operational incident that damaged one of the molds used in the facility. This did not affect any Vineyard Wind Farm blades. No one was injured and all appropriate steps were taken to safely return the facility to full operations. Answered by GE Vernova.
- Question: Was the blade attached to one of the active turbines?
Answer: The turbine was undergoing testing procedure, meaning it was not an “active turbine” released for continuous power generation. Answered by GE Vernova.
- Question: How much oil is in the transformer? Is it active? Which company is responsible for potential leaks?
Answer: Original equipment manufacturers use cooling liquids, including oil, in rotation components inside the nacelle. All of these liquids are contained. The Construction and Operations Plan submitted by Vineyard Wind to BOEM includes a Draft Oil Spill Response Plan. Answered by GE Vernova.
Context: No oil was released when the blade collapsed in July but the incident has heightened concerns about what would happen as the result of an oil spill.
