Thieves raid French wind turbines for metal - report

May 29, 2014 - Local thieves are stealing metal from the engines of wind turbine in sparsely populated areas of France, daily Le Figaro reported yesterday, saying that 20 or more such crimes have been registered recently.

An investigator, whose name was not given, told the newspaper that this may soon become a national issue.

Le Figaro quoted an anonymous police source as saying that the criminals have been breaking into the turbines through the doors at the bottom of the tower structures, climbing to the top where the engine is situated and then ripping out the whole metal wiring. They are using bolt cutters and makeshift tools.

According to the unnamed officer, a single engine could provide thieves with up to a tonne of copper, worth some EUR 4,500 (USD 6,100) on the market.

To deal with this problem, turbine operators have begun installing video cameras at the sites. At the same time, the police has started sending helicopters to patrol larger wind parks. Two successful and one failed attempts for such raids were reported in March alone, the daily added.

(EUR 1.0 = USD 1.361)

Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!