whatyareckon

When 300-tonne wind turbines spontaneously explode into giant toxic fireballs, locals have more contend with than the risk of bushfires (or ‘wildfires’ as Americans call them).

Packed with flammable and toxic oils, plastics, fibreglass and low-ignition point metals, like aluminium, when one of these things spontaneously bursts into flames, everybody for miles around knows all about it. For rural dwellers nervous about the terror that comes with an out-of-control bushfire, here are a few fun facts about the Vestas V112.

A Vestas V112 3MW turbine – the kind used at Macarthur in Victoria – holds the following “chemicals”, according to their specifications:

The hydraulic system has about 100 litres of hydraulic fluid in reserve, and to keep the gearbox lubricated requires 1,170 litres of gear oil – which sits in the gearbox sump and a reservoir (“external gravity tank), all housed in the nacelle:

So – once alight…