September 26, 2024 — The manufacturer of Vineyard Wind’s offshore wind turbines could cut 900 jobs worldwide after facing heavy financial losses due in part to the aftermath of several blade breaks at key projects.
GE Vernova, the company behind the 853-foot tall turbines being built to the Island’s south, last week proposed the cutbacks to deal with inflation, supply chain challenges and the delays in power production following three separate blade breaks.
“The proposal reflects industry wide challenges for wind and aims to transform our offshore wind business into a smaller, leaner and more profitable business within GE Vernova,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
The announcement comes about two months after one of the 107-meter blades at the Vineyard Wind project broke, scattering fiberglass and styrofoam into the ocean. The broken blade has halted power production at the wind farm and delayed construction for weeks in the prime summer construction period.