An investigation has been launched following an incident involving an offshore wind turbine off the coast of Great Yarmouth. A plume of heavy black smoke was observed billowing from one of the towers at The Scroby Sands wind farm on Tuesday morning.
The alarm was raised at approximately 10:50 am, prompting an evacuation of all personnel at the North Sea site. The coastguard swiftly confirmed that all workers had been accounted for and were safe.
RWE, the operator of the wind farm located 1.5 miles off the coast, stated that there were no reported injuries among the workers. The German company explained that the fire originated in the turbine nacelle, the structure at the top of the tower housing the generating components.
Remarkably, the blaze extinguished itself shortly after it started, an occurrence described by an RWE spokesperson as “incredibly rare” for a turbine to catch fire. Despite the fire being put out, the company advised people to avoid the area while the cause of the incident is being assessed.
Emergency services were alerted promptly, and the coastguard was informed. Although no coastguard search and rescue units were dispatched to the scene, they monitored the area and recommended a possible 500-meter exclusion zone around the affected turbine.
The incident highlighted the potential risks associated with offshore wind energy infrastructure. RWE emphasized that safety measures were in place and that all workers followed appropriate protocols during the evacuation.
The Scroby Sands wind farm consists of 30 turbines with an installed capacity of 60 megawatts. This capacity can power over 48,000 households, making a significant contribution to the local energy supply. As investigations continue, authorities will be working to determine the exact cause of the incident and to ensure the continued safety of wind farm operations.
