Wind Energy

Statkraft announces reopening of Smola wind farm

Statkraft AS, a Norway-based electrical utility company, has announced the reopening of Smola wind farm. For safety reasons, the wind farm was temporarily closed on October 11, 2011, when a fracture was discovered in one of the towers. The risk of a breakdown has been averted and it is now safe to access the wind farm, the company said.

Three weeks earlier, a fracture was discovered in the tower of a wind turbine in the oldest part of the wind farm. The damage was serious enough to warrant repairs to the tower to prevent a breakdown. As a routine precaution, the entire wind farm was closed to the general public and the 20 wind turbines from construction stage 1 were taken out of production, the company added.

Statkraft has discovered similar damage to several towers in this part of the facility. The towers must be repaired, but it is too early to say how. Statkraft is working to establish the causes of the damage. However, this is expected to take some time.

The other 48 wind turbines from construction stage 2 are operating as normal. Construction stage 1 was completed in September 2002, while construction stage 2 came online in 2005.