Campaigners fear lightning damage to wind turbine spells danger for new wind farm

The damage from lightning strikes to a wind turbine on Scout Moor means another wind farm there could be too dangerous, according to campaigners.

The damage from lightning strikes to a wind turbine on Scout Moor means another wind farm there could be too dangerous, according to campaigners.

One of the 26 wind turbines up on the moorland between Rochdale, Edenfield and Rawtenstall was damaged by a lightning strike in the early hours of Thursday (May 28). Campaigners against opposing new wind turbines in the area claim debris ‘flung off’ the damaged blade onto the ground below – as it was still spinning. 

They believe this is enough reason to call a halt to the proposed scheme to build another wind farm on the moorland – named Scout Moor II. 

The Say NO to Scout Moor 2 (SN2SM2) group have been adamantly against Cubico Sustainable Investments’ plan to build 17 wind turbines up to 180m tall on the moorland. In response Cubico says they are following all safety guidelines and carefully considers where public rights of way are when mapping out their wind farm.

Pictures taken by locals show debris from the damaged wind turbine was shown right beside a public footpath used regularly by walkers, runners, cyclists and families crossing the moor.

A spokesperson for the campaigners said: “According to DNV (Det Norske Veritas), an independent expert in assurance and risk management, operating in more than 100 countries, lightning damage is the single largest cause of unplanned downtime in wind turbines and the most common insurance claim filed by wind farm owners.

“As turbines grow taller and are installed in more remote and exposed locations, the risk of lightning strikes increases. Wind farm locations, such as Rooley Moor, have a significant risk of operations being severely influenced by lightning and are exposed to costly damage and repair if the blade design and/or lightning protection system (LPS) are insufficient. 

“At 180 M tip height the proposed Scout Moor 2 turbines will be more susceptible to lightning strikes than their Scout Moor 1 neighbours. Whilst thunder storms are not a regular occurrence in this area, we do experience several per year and so the risk is still a concern, especially with the proposed turbine locations being situated close to and on either side of, the Cotton Famine Road.

“The possible danger to anyone using that road is obvious. It should be noted that the turbine continued to rotate for some while after the strike and parts were ‘flung’ off the blade during this time.”

The group say this damage raises questions of public safety, separation distances, emergency response, debris risk near footpaths and the impact of even larger turbines on public access land. 

In response, a spokesperson for Cubico said: “The recent incident relates to an existing turbine at Scout Moor Wind Farm, which is operated separately from our proposed Scout Moor II development. It’s not appropriate for us to comment on the cause of the incident, and any questions relating to that turbine should be directed to its operator.

“For Scout Moor II, public safety has been a key consideration throughout the design process. Lightning strikes are a recognised design consideration for wind turbines, and the proposed Scout Moor II turbines would be designed, constructed and operated in line with relevant safety and certification standards.

“As part of the project design, we’ve also carefully considered public access, including nearby public rights of way, and will continue to take a responsible and safety-led approach as the proposals progress.”

If the scheme is approved by both Rochdale and Rossendale councils, it is anticipated to be the largest onshore wind farm in England. The new wind farm would be capable of generating 100MW of clean electricity, powering around 100,000 homes per year, according to developer Cubico.

The owner of the current Scout Moor wind farm, Munich RE, has been contacted for comment.