German Federal Police have retrieved a detached wind turbine rotor blade drifting in the North Sea near the operational Hohe See offshore wind farm and the under-construction He Dreiht project.
The Federal Police Inspectorate in Cuxhaven reported that on 24 July, authorities were informed about a broken rotor blade between wind farms Hohe See and He Dreiht. Initial recovery efforts by work vessels on-site were unsuccessful.
Following coordination with Germany’s Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV), a patrol vessel was sent to secure the blade section and manage vessel traffic, as it posed a significant hazard, drifting below the water surface. The 20-meter-long blade was towed to the patrol vessel and cut into sections for recovery, then offloaded by crane in Cuxhaven on 27 July.
The blade reportedly detached from a turbine at the He Dreiht wind farm, which is nearing completion and expected to become fully operational this summer. The 960 MW He Dreiht is located about 85 kilometers northwest of Borkum, featuring 64 Vestas V236-15.0 MW turbines. The first turbine was installed by the vessel Wind Orca on 24 April 2025.
Earlier this year, EnBW indicated half of the turbines were installed, and Cadeler’s Wind Keeper vessel was ready to support installation at the German site. By the first quarter of 2026, 45 turbines were installed according to the developer’s report.
EnBW and Vestas have been contacted for comments but have not yet responded.
Original Story at www.offshorewind.biz