- Offshore wind turbines have the lifespan of a gnat in summer.
"Among the lies pedalled by the wind industry is that wind turbines run on the smell of an oily rag and last for more than 25 years.
The pitch is made to beguile the gullible (read, ‘planning authorities’, ‘politicians’, ‘bankers’ and ‘investors’) into believing that their operating costs can be covered out of petty cash – which fits with the other great line about there being nothing as ‘free’ as the wind.
Mechanical wear and tear, including bearing failure is one of the most common reasons for turbines to be put out of action; and is one of the key factors that accounts for the fact that the ‘economic’ life of wind turbines is 10-12 years, which runs contrary to wild claims about them lasting for “25-plus years” (see our post here and this paper).
Top flight German turbine maker, Siemens booked a €223 million write down (ie loss) in 2014 due to the fact it had to replace bearings in a fleet of turbines that were less than 2 years old.
...The blades at several British Ørsted offshore wind farms must also be repaired after just a few years on the water.
As Jo Nova put it:
We are trying to collect dilute erratic energy, spread over hundreds of square kilometers in windy, salty, and wet conditions with machines that’s blade tips spin at 330km/hour. What could possibly go wrong?
Early retirement in an industry that was never designed to last.
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