A Cargo Vessel Runs Into An Offshore Wind Turbine

A cargo vessel collided with a wind turbine at the Gode Wind 1 offshore wind farm in the waters of the German North Sea. Danish wind major Ørsted owns the 55-turbine Gode 1 wind farm, located about 45 km off the coast of Germany.

The general cargo ship dubbed the Petra L is flagged in Antigua. The cargo vessel set sail from Szczecin in Poland to Belgium, loaded with about 1,500 tons of grains, when it collided with a 330-megawatt (MW) offshore wind turbine based at Gode Wind 1 at about 6 pm on 24 April.

The German water police informed that it had sustained massive damage. The result was a 3-by-5-meter hole on the vessel’s starboard side. It also reported water ingress; however, it was capable of making it to the port at Emden in Germany on 25 April. No one suffered injuries.

This is the first time a cargo vessel has run into a wind farm, and the incident is under examination by relevant local authorities, who do not yet know what resulted in such a collision. They will try to determine if any safety protocols have been breached.

Reference: Oceancrew, Rigzone