A Siemens 3MW-101 direct drive turbine has suffered a major failure at the 21MW Auwahi wind project in Hawaii owned by Sempra US Gas & Power.



The blades, hub and nacelle separated from the tower and fell to the ground Sunday, Sempra communications and marketing manager Jill Howard told reNEWS.

There were no injuries. Sempra and Siemens are investigating the cause of the turbine failure.“Initial indications are that wind speeds were not higher than usual at the time of the incident,” said Howard.The other seven turbines were not damaged however they have been shut down “until we know the outcome of the detailed investigation", said Howard.The eight-turbine wind farm on the island of Maui started commercial operation in 2012. It is paired with a 11MW/4.4MWh containerized battery storage system.The wind power is sold to Maui Electric Company under a 20-year contract.