Tales of Wind #2 - Emergency response Drill – Evacuation of a wind turbine

Article 15 of the ICPE Decree requires operators to regularly conduct emergency drills on their wind farms in France.
This type of training is fully organized by Greensolver and is generally carried out in cooperation with O&M contractors and local emergency services (SDIS & GRIMP). The exercise involves simulating the evacuation of an unconscious technician from various locations within the turbine: the nacelle, hub, or tower.

The evacuation scenario involved the participation of the civil security helicopter (Dragon). Before the helicopter’s arrival, the turbine was stopped, and the rotor lock was engaged to position the blades in a Y configuration. The exercise consisted of depositing two firefighters on the nacelle roof using the helicopter’s winch and then retrieving them the same way. Only one firefighter was winched down and up at a time. The GRIMP captain ascended to the nacelle with the SGRE service manager to install a lifeline along the roof, ensuring the safety of the winched firefighters upon arrival.

The exercise was performed three times, with the crew changing during each rotation so that all pilots could practice
winching onto the roof.

• There are numerous advantages to conducting these drills:
• Improved responsiveness of local emergency services: Gaining familiarity with the site environment, the exact location of turbines, and the access routes to the wind farm;
• Enhanced skills for local emergency services: Implementation of plausible emergency scenarios;
• Increased satisfaction among operators (O&M): Technicians feel safer;
• Good practice to showcase to the DREAL during inspections.

Written by Technical and Financial Asset Management Team