On Friday, July 24, 2026, a rotor blade broke off an offshore wind turbine approximately 90 kilometers northwest of Borkum. The blade failure occurred between the EnBW wind farms Hohe See and He Dreiht; the cause remains unknown. The fiberglass-reinforced plastic (GRP) blade measured 20 meters in length and two meters in width. It was drifting just below the water’s surface, making it barely visible and undetectable by ship radar. Consequently, the Federal Police diverted shipping traffic and recovered the component after an initial recovery attempt by the operator had failed. Furthermore, no figure for the cost of the damage is currently available.
Rotor blade failure prompts Federal Police deployment
After their own work vessels were unable to complete the recovery, the operator notified the Federal Police. Officers subsequently coordinated the operation with the responsible Waterways and Shipping Administration. The operational vessel “BP 83 Bad Düben” then proceeded to the reported location and secured the area.
A patrol vessel first towed the blade to the operations ship. The crew then hauled it onto the main deck via the stern ramp. Because the component was too long, they cut it into several sections using a saw. Finally, on Sunday, July 26, a crane lifted the sections ashore in Cuxhaven.
Origin of the blade remains unclear
Following the rotor blade failure, it remains unknown exactly which turbine the blade came from. It was found between the two EnBW projects, yet reports do not specify a particular turbine. Furthermore, information regarding the manufacturer, turbine model, and any potential additional damage is currently missing.
The “Hohe See” wind farm has been operational since October 2019 and comprises 71 wind turbines with a combined capacity of 497 megawatts. “He Dreiht,” by contrast, is still under construction and is set to feature 64 turbines with a total capacity of 960 megawatts. The new wind farm is also projected to supply enough electricity for approximately 1.1 million households.
Cause and Extent of Damage Still Unclear
The Federal Police have not yet determined the technical cause or the extent of the damage. Furthermore, published reports do not cite any findings from the operator’s investigation. Consequently, it is currently impossible to reliably assess the technical sequence of events.
The failure of the rotor blade created a particular problem regarding the difficulty of locating the drifting fiberglass component. Because the part was positioned just below the waterline, it did not generate a discernible radar signature. As a result, ships struggled to detect the obstacle in time, despite its size. Operators and authorities must now clarify the origin, cause, and potential consequential damage.
Author: Blackout News
Sources: NDR (27.07.26) – Welt (27.07.26) – Cuxhavener Nachrichten (27.07.26) – HANSA (27.07.27)