Manufacturing defects in several Siemens Gamesa turbine blades at the 160MW Odal wind farm in Norway have caused the site to be partially shut down, according to owner Odal Vind.
The developer has reported that 13 out of the wind farm’s 34 SG 5.0-145 turbines are out of service due to the issue, while a further two turbines are also not operating “due to other errors/damage that are being rectified”.
Odal Vind has not provided further information on the nature of the defects, but said in a statement on its website that work on repairing the blades will “start again” after Easter, and that it expects the wind farm to be back in normal operation later this year.
“In order to have control over the repair work and ensure safety and quality, a broadly composed project organization has been established which works to follow up the repair work,” Odal Vind said. “In the future, continuous repairs will take place until all affected components have been repaired.”
Siemens Gamesa told reNEWS that it is “in constant communication with our client to implement the repairs progressively”.
Odal Vind added: “Work to establish a temporary hall for the repair of turbine blades is underway. This is to enable more efficient and safe repair work.
“While some of the blade repairs could potentially have been carried out on top of the turbine, the extent and complexity of some damage means that it is not appropriate to carry out the repairs on the turbine.
“It will therefore be both safer and faster to carry out the work on the ground in a dedicated repair hall.
“In addition, some of the repair work requires a minimum temperature, which means that these repairs cannot be carried out in the colder months without a repair hall.”
The Siemens Gamesa turbines have 144-metre towers. The project, located in Nord-Odal municipality, was completed in 2022.