Fait rarissime: une éolienne en feu !

[NNadir]

It would seem that the French are not that familiar with working with wind turbines made by Vestas, since the headline reads "Extremely rare: A wind turbine on fire!"

http://www.ledauphine.com/freyssenet-br/-une-eolienne-en-feu-sur-le-plateau-du-coiron-@/index.jspz?article=214826">Fait rarissime: une éolienne en feu!

There's nothing rare about it. One can find hundreds of different wind turbines around the world burning.

The picture of the fire in this particular case can be seen by clicking on the link. Unlike the many pictures I've seen of burning wind turbines it is not only the nacelle that is burning - the usual state of affairs - but also one of the blades is burning.

Below is the French text, followed by my translation using my bad French.

Un des cinq aérogénérateurs du parc éolien de Chabanet, à Freyssenet, près de Privas, a été la proie des flammes hier, sur les hauteurs du plateau du Coiron. Selon les premières informations obtenues sur place, cet incident serait la conséquence d'un court-circuit faisant suite à une opération de maintenance de la part de la société Vestas, gestionnaire du parc.

One of the 5 wind turbines in the Chabanet Wind Park, in Freyssenet, near Privas burst into flames yesterday on the Coiron heights. From preliminary information obtained from the site, the incident was a consequence of a short circuit that took place after maintainence operations by the manufacturer, Vestas...

Situé sur le plateau du Coiron, ce parc éolien installé en 2005 n'avait pas, jusque-là, suscité d'inquiétudes particulières. Si ce n'est, selon certains habitants du secteur, « des soucis techniques récurrents concernant cette éolienne ».

Located on the Coiron Heights, the park in question, installed in 2005 had, until now, few difficulties in particular. Nevertheless the locals have had lots of technical concerns about wind energy.

Thank goodness Vestas has stopped giving 5 year warranties on its wind products.

Première et unique décision hier soir : la route de la côte du Baron, reliant Privas au sommet du plateau du Coiron, sera interdite à la circulation, « au moins pour une semaine », a indiqué le sous-préfet.

The immediate decision made last night: The road to the Baron Coast, which passes through Privas on the summit of the Coiron Heights will be closed "for at least a week" according to local officials.

Hier soir, l'objectif était d'installer un périmètre de sécurité face au risque de voir les trois pales se détacher du mât haut de 60 mètres. Le réseau électrique de l'ensemble du parc éolien, via le poste de liaison, a été coupé. Empêchant notamment tous signaux lumineux préventifs pour les hélicoptères et autres aéronefs de passage sur la région !

As of yesterday evening, the plan was to install a security zone around the area to address the possibility that the three blades, 60 meters high, might detach. Electricity was cut to the entire wind park. This prevented the aviation warning lights from operating, preventing the passage of helicopters and other aircraft through the region.

I have no idea why they would build this crap in France when they have the cleanest and most reliable electricity generation system on the face of the planet. It's probably part of some kind of scam to raise France's low electricity rates and enrich members of a certain dogmatic sect in the process.

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. Perhaps they are considering alternatives in anticipation of the day

when they are told to deal with their nuclear poison themselves, and nobody will take it off their hands.

[NNadir]

2. Um, they know perfectly well what to do with their nuclear resources, which is to ignore

those who are completely ignorant about the subject.

France has the most rational nuclear fuel management plan on the face of the planet, but regrettably many people are far too stupid to grasp it.

Would you let me know what your plan for containing dangerous fossil fuel waste is?

Got one? Is it poisonous. Unlike used nuclear fuel, it actually kills people.

Couldn't care less? Perfectly willing to use the stuff and dump it while you explain your plan?

Let me guess. Your plan involves dumping it into the atmosphere, into the flesh of living thing on earth, and talk about some dumb "sequestration" scheme that has not worked, does not work, and will not work, although as a practical matter you couldn't care less.

Nuclear energy need not be perfect (or even comprehensible to every idiot who comes along to kvetch about what they cannot understand) to be better than all the stuff you don't care about.

It only needs to be better than all the stuff you don't care about, which, happily it is.

[RaleighNCDUer]

4. sorry, but shipping their nuclear waste off to be buried in eastern europe

is not dealing with the problem - it is dumping the problem on somebody else.

[madokie]

3. Fat chance the mafia will turn that one down

google radioactive waste mafia and see what you find

[NNadir]

5. Google "Banqiao dam" and see what you find.

I note with due contempt, that you cannot produce one instance in your googled imagination, of a person injured by this Mafia business to which you continually refer, as if it fucking mattered, which it doesn't.

Since you are blissfully unaware of the radioactivity levels of the ocean derived from, it's geological history, I have no doubt that you are blissfully unaware of Banqiao.

In fact, I know it.

The entire state of California could burn down because of a burning wind turbine igniting chapparal, and you'd still be focusing your selective attention on some bullshit story that has nothing to do with a loss of a single life.

By stating the word "mafia" and "radioactive" in the same sentance, you are demonstrating your mentality.

The biggest threat to living things on this planet is not the mafia, and not involved with anything involving radioactive stuff, be it medical waste or power plant used fuels.

The biggest threat to living things on this planet is ignorance about dangerous fossil fuel waste, and complacency about it.