Exploding Windmill Video

Summary:
"Viral" video shows a giant wind turbine spinning out of control and finally disintegrating (Full commentary below).



Status:
True

Example:(Submitted, June 2008)


Commentary:
Compelling footage of a large wind turbine apparently spinning out of control and then disintegrating has been posted to YouTube and other video hosting sites and is also circulating via email. Some commentators have suggested that the video is faked.

However, the video is genuine and such an incident did indeed occur in Denmark. A February 2008 report in The Copenhagen Post notes:

In first of the two collapses, near the city of Århus, a 10-year-old windmill began spinning out of control during high winds. A recording of the explosion-like collapse shows one of the wing blades breaking off, casting debris into the three other wings and shearing the 60- metre tower nearly in half.

According to The Copenhagen Post report, there has also been at least one other case of a windmill exploding in Denmark and others elsewhere:

The climate minister, Connie Hedegaard, is calling for an investigation to determine the cause of two violent wind turbine collapses in Denmark in the past week.

Both of the windmills were produced by Vestas, and Hedegaard's request to the Energy Board comes after other breakdowns both here and abroad have been reported in the past two months.

The incident was also reported in other Danish news outlets.

At least one other video of the same incident from a slightly different angle has also been posted to YouTube and elsewhere:


References:
Minister demands explanation for windmill collapse
Vindmølle eksploderet

Last updated: 19th June 2008
First published: 19th June 2008

Write-up by Brett M. Christensen