Nevertheless, Wind Turbines Are Among The Safest Structures

According to the Bundesverband Windenergie eV, wind turbines in Germany are type-tested and approved based on the guidelines of the German Institute for Building Technology (DIBt). This type test forms the basis for building permits. Construction supervision takes place during installation. With commissioning, all components that can affect operation and safety are removed. The periodic inspection is carried out every two to four years in the operating phase, in this context the system status is examined with regard to safety and proper maintenance. The high standards in plant manufacturing and the ever more professionalized service and maintenance ensure that wind turbines achieve a technical availability of around 98%.

Security technology

Bolting solutions for safe wind turbines

In the meantime, 26,560 wind turbines produce electricity all over Germany. Every year, very few cases are registered in which damage events occur, which are more or less associated with a total loss of the system. The evaluation of these events helps to further improve plant safety. Regardless of whether it is a fire, a problem with the rotor blade or the entire system: Experts examine every individual case on behalf of the operator and insurance companies. If individual components are identified as the cause, they are checked in subsequent maintenance in all identical systems, according to the Bundesverband Windenergie eV in its press release.

However, it is still unclear why the entire tower at the plant in Hamburg collapsed. (br)