A wind turbine fell in the Bunkas municipality in the south on Sunday, confirmed Janis Meisters, the owner of the company "Jaunmiki," to the LETA agency.
At around 8 a.m., information was received from JSC "Sadales tīkls" about a power supply interruption, and by noon, the wind farm manager reported that one of the turbines had collapsed.
There are no injuries, and the site currently poses no danger. On Monday morning, the area is planned to be cordoned off, and work to eliminate the consequences will begin. The Ministry of Climate and Energy has been informed about the incident, and an inspection will be conducted, explained Meisters.
In his assessment, the turbine likely fell due to strong winds, and there are currently no suspicions of intentional damage. The exact cause of the incident will still be determined.
The wind farm has five turbines, each with a capacity of 200 kilowatts, for a total capacity of one megawatt. The turbines are not new—they were installed about 15 years ago, and the current owner acquired them 5–6 years ago.
Previously, the turbines had technical problems and were not operational. Significant investments would be required for their restoration, so a decision was made to sell the wind farm, noted Meisters. According to a company representative associated with the park, an agreement with a potential buyer was planned to be concluded as early as May of this year.
The extent of the damage is still being assessed.
On Sunday evening, the Ministry of Climate and Energy informed the bb.lv portal that it had received information that one of the oldest wind farms in Latvia in Priekule, consisting of five turbines, likely suffered from a storm over the weekend, and one of the turbines fell.
The ministry also emphasized that the circumstances of the incident are still being clarified. Minister of Climate and Energy Kaspars Meļņiks will visit the site on Monday, April 27, along with experts from "Sadales tīkls" and the State Construction Control Bureau to assess the situation on the ground. The ministry will also contact the turbine manufacturer "Vestas" to ensure an independent examination.
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