How Vestas is Making Renewable Energy More Sustainable

Vestas leads not just in wind energy but sustainability with a commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2030 without carbon offsets. 

The company aims to produce zero-waste turbines by 2040 through circular economy principles. 

Vestas powers its operations with 100% renewable electricity, enhances material efficiency by boosting recycling rates and reduces service fleet emissions via eco-friendly vehicles and hydrogen-powered vessels. 

Its turbines typically avoid 50 times the emissions they generate.

"At Vestas, sustainability is the business we are in, it's one of the key purposes that our more than 29,000 employees come to work every day - to make the world a more sustainable place,” says Henrik Andersen, President and CEO at Vestas.

Lisa Ekstrand, Vice President and Head of Sustainability at Vestas, says: “Integrating sustainability into everything we do is a part of our vision to become the global leader in sustainable energy solutions.”

Vestas was ranked 17th in Sustainability Magazine’s Top 250 Most Sustainable Companies 2025 list.

About Vestas

Vestas is one of the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturers and service providers, operating across onshore and offshore markets. 

Its core proposition is replacing fossil electricity with wind at scale, which drives system-wide emissions cuts beyond its own footprint. 

In 2024, Vestas said turbines produced and shipped that year are expected to avoid 455 million tonnes of CO₂e over their lifetime

It aims to achieve carbon neutrality in its own operations by 2030 without offsets and produce zero-waste wind turbines by 2040.

This means no incineration or landfill across its whole value chain. 

Vestas’ supply chain decarbonisation

More than 80% of Vestas’ turbine footprint comes from purchased materials. 

The company runs a supplier sustainability programme and aims for a 45% reduction in supply chain emissions intensity per MWh by 2030 from a 2019 baseline. 

It also engaged strategic suppliers to measure and set targets aligned with science-based outcomes. 

Vestas is working with ArcelorMittal to support lower carbon steel produced using 100% steel scrap melted by an electric arc furnace powered by 100% wind energy. 

ArcelorMittal says it is the only steel producer to produce low carbon emissions heavy plate steel in large dimensions, minimising the need for welding and associated emissions. 

For an entire onshore tower, the CO₂ reduction from the use of this steel is at least 52%, ArcelorMittal says. 

Dieter Dehoorne, Head of Global Procurement at Vestas, says: “Finding ways to decarbonise the emissions produced during the raw material extraction and refinement of steel is vital for us and the industry in general.

“Vestas sees the partnership with ArcelorMittal and the adoption of low-emission steel as a significant lever in reducing CO₂ emissions within the wind industry. 

“Commitment from our customers is vital to drive the transition so we are very happy that we can provide value to our customers with this solution.”

Can wind turbines be recycled?

Vestas says that its wind turbines are currently 85% recyclable and the company is investigating pathways for difficult-to-recycle materials.

The remaining challenge, Vestas says, is recycling the blades. 

Wind turbine blades contain composites mainly composed of epoxy resin and glass fibre.

CETEC is a research project between Vestas, Olin, Danish Technological Institute and Aarhus University that aims to enable circularity for thermoset composites.

In collaboration with industrial partners, Vestas is looking to scale the CETEC solution as it allows for circular blade recycling without altering their design or material composition.

Dieter Dehoorne, Head of Global Procurement at Vestas, says: “Finding ways to decarbonise the emissions produced during the raw material extraction and refinement of steel is vital for us and the industry in general.

“Vestas sees the partnership with ArcelorMittal and the adoption of low-emission steel as a significant lever in reducing CO₂ emissions within the wind industry. 

“Commitment from our customers is vital to drive the transition so we are very happy that we can provide value to our customers with this solution.”

Can wind turbines be recycled?

Vestas says that its wind turbines are currently 85% recyclable and the company is investigating pathways for difficult-to-recycle materials.

The remaining challenge, Vestas says, is recycling the blades. 

Wind turbine blades contain composites mainly composed of epoxy resin and glass fibre.

CETEC is a research project between Vestas, Olin, Danish Technological Institute and Aarhus University that aims to enable circularity for thermoset composites.

In collaboration with industrial partners, Vestas is looking to scale the CETEC solution as it allows for circular blade recycling without altering their design or material composition.