About 85% of all wind turbine components can be recycled or reused, except for the blades that are either incinerated or end up in landfills. Wind turbine blades have a life cycle of around 20-25 years but most blades are replaced with bigger and more powerful designs after around 10 years.
This presents a significant waste problem for the wind energy sector, often thought to be completely emissions-free. Blades constitute a very significant part of industrial waste generated by this sector.
A project led by one of the leading wind energy solutions provider has made a major breakthrough in recycling wind turbine blades. A new chemical process, discovered as a part of the project, allows epoxy-based wind turbine blades to be broken down into raw materials and reused to make new blades or other materials.
This breakthrough has the potential to reduce emissions associated with the wind energy sector by cutting waste and reintroducing raw materials back into the production cycle.
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