Villagers were woken by a 300ft wind turbine crashing down a Welsh mountainside – after it was blown over in gales that brought 50pm an hour winds.
The £20million turbine – twice the height of Nelson’s Column – broke apart and the blades collapsed in the raging wind.
Families in the nearby village of Gilfach Goch, near Bridgend, South Wales, told how it sounded like “thunder and lightning”.
It woke them around 6:50 a.m. Monday morning and echoed through the valley below.
The 29-turbine Pant Y Wal wind farm opened in 2013 and generated enough electricity for 19,000 homes – until one was destroyed in the storm over the weekend.
Villagers wonder how the turbine fell apart in winds of around 80 km/h, urging officials to check the status of neighboring turbines.
Nordex – the company that made the turbine – said an investigation is now underway to determine the cause of the collapse.
A renewable energy expert, who wished to remain anonymous, told MailOnline that a collapsing turbine was a “real rarity”, adding that there are “more than 10,000 of them across the country”. He suggested the materials may have been faulty but insisted it is “very unlikely that the local wind speed” was the cause.
The 300-foot turbine crashed into the ground on Monday night after strong winds on a Welsh mountainside (pictured).
Families in the nearby village of Gilfach Goch, near Bridgend, South Wales, told how it sounded like “thunder and lightning”.
The fallen turbine was one of 11 at the Fforch Nest wind farm, which opened in 2013 and provides enough electricity for 19,000 homes
Neighbor Lydia Stephens wrote: “A wind turbine fell over at the wind farm in my village this morning and I thought it was thunder and lightning but how the hell does a wind turbine fall over?
“Apparently it creaked and banged all night before collapsing, and one woman thought it was her neighbor’s clothes dryer.”
Villager Ricky Williams described it as “a bang like thunder early in the morning”.
Other villagers said they were worried about the safety of the turbines after the collapse.
Sharon Westgate said: “Surely we need to start saying no? We get nothing from them! Thank god nobody got hurt!’
Labor councilor Aufron Roberts called on wind farm owners to carry out further checks on systems.
She said: “We’ve had some extreme weather here lately – some very strong winds and storms.
“It’s a surprise because they’re well maintained – there are always maintenance vehicles checking the turbines throughout the night.
The incident has meant the remaining 10 (some pictured) should be inspected to ensure they are not at risk of falling
Councilor Aufron Roberts urged wind farm owners to conduct further surveys of turbines around the area
“The whole village is surrounded by turbines, we have so many projects in the hills around them. I’m just glad they’re up on the hill and away from the people in case something like this happens.
“I hope that means the owners are extra vigilant and watching out. It’s probably just a really unfortunate accident, but it’s fortunate that no one was hurt.
“I’m not surprised the noise woke people up. The village is surrounded by hills so the sound swirls and you would hear it cracking.’
Owner Pennant Walters said any questions related to the wind turbine collapse should be directed to manufacturer Nordex, which manufactures and supplies turbines around the world.
A Nordex spokesman told MailOnline: “Unfortunately, an incident has occurred at the Pant Y Wal wind farm in Wales. On Monday, February 14, 2022, an N90/2500 turbine collapsed. No people were injured.
“The only damage to property caused by the incident is to the turbine itself.
“All necessary security measures were implemented immediately after the incident.
‘A team of local Nordex specialists with experts from Nordex headquarters is currently investigating the cause of the incident together with the wind farm owner.
“So far, no reliable statement can be made about the underlying cause of the collapse.
‘The Pant Y Wal wind farm consists of 29 N90/2500 turbines, 21 of which have been in operation since late 2013, including the collapsed turbine.’
A spokesman for Rhondda Cynon Taff Council: “The Council is in contact with Penant Walters Ltd and neighboring local authority Bridgend CBC where most of the turbines built as part of this wind farm, including those that collapsed, are on high ground.
“The Council is keen to determine what may have caused this error and seeks assurances that the landowner has taken all reasonable steps to secure access to this remote location and to avoid potential risks to the public from the use of footpaths to lessen this remote location on a hill.’
