Safety of German Offshore Windparks Questioned After Major Incident
The first German offshore wind farm `Alpha Ventus´, located 45 km off the coast of the German island of Borkum, has been considerably damaged. At the beginning of April, the main parts of the gondola of one wind turbine broke off and fell 90 meters into the North Sea. The park features 120 structurally identical wind turbines that have been produced by the German manufacturer ADWEN. The reasons for the damage are entirely unclear, but a fierce debate on liability and the safety of offshore wind farms is already on its way in the north of Germany.