Akita Residents Grow Anxious Over Collapsing Wind Turbines

The damaged turbine had been standing in a wooded area near a residential neighborhood. The small onshore wind turbine, installed in the Koishi district, was found collapsed after snapping at a point about 1.5 meters above the ground. The structure stood approximately 20 meters tall.

The turbine was installed by Sansan, with operations beginning in January 2019.

According to Oga City officials, abnormalities were detected by the power generation management system in early March, and the collapse was confirmed on March 16th. Nearby residents said they heard a loud noise on the night of March 7th, and discovered the fallen turbine the following day.

The incident follows previous wind turbine accidents in Oga. Three years ago, the tip of a blade from a large onshore wind turbine broke off, scattering debris over a wide area, with fragments reportedly piercing rice fields more than 100 meters away.

Another blade accident occurred last month near a tourist information center, further heightening concerns among local residents over the safety of wind power facilities.

Under guidelines established independently by Oga City in 2018, operators are asked to promptly report accidents involving small wind turbines. However, the city said Sansan did not formally report the collapse until May 7th, more than a month and a half after the damage had been confirmed.

While the company quickly submitted the legally required report to the national government, it reportedly told city officials that it had forgotten about the municipality’s own reporting guidelines.

Oga City said it had never previously experienced a collapse involving a small wind turbine, and the company is currently investigating the cause of the accident.

Source: ABS秋田放送

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