Turbine fire at South Australia wind farm

Turbine fire at South Australia wind farm | Windpower Monthly

The South Australia Country Fire Service (SACFS) said fire crews created an exclusion zone “around the collapsing wind turbine” at the 56.7MW Clements Gap wind farm in Redhill, South Australia, and continued to battle spot fires “created by falling debris”.

The fire service said on 7 February it expected to remain at the scene “while the head of the turbine continues to burn”.

The cause of the fire is unknown, according to the SACFS.

The risk of spontaneous fires like wildfires in Australia is currently high during the hot and dry summer season between December and February. The country has experienced increasingly severe wildfires in recent years amid the higher average temperatures associated with the climate crisis.

Clements Gap uses 27 of Indian turbine manufacturer Suzlon’s S88-2.1 MW turbines, and came online in 2010 according to Windpower Intelligence, the data and research division of Windpower Monthly.

The wind farm is owned and operated by Pacific Blue (formerly Pacific Hydro). Pacific Hydro was fined A$1.1 million (around $720,000) in 2016 for its role in statewide blackouts that occurred after a cyclone knocked out power lines in the region.

Windpower Monthly contacted Pacific Blue, Suzlon and the CFS for comment.