RWE & Siemens Gamesa: Recyclable Wind Turbine Blades
The standard lifespan of an onshore windfarm is 20-25 years.
Around 90% of a wind farm being can be recycled, but the blades are sometimes seen as a challenge.
WindEurope is calling for a Europe-wide ban on landfilling turbine blades by 2025.
Giles Dickson, CEO at WindEurope, says: “Wind energy is a green technology. Sustainability is part of our DNA.
“That’s why we are constantly striving to further reduce our impact on the environment.
“A ban on landfilling wind turbine blades will help accelerate the development of sustainable recycling technologies. Austria, Finland, Germany and the Netherlands already have a landfill ban in place.
“But we call upon the European Commission to propose a harmonised European approach”
RWE has partnered with Siemens Gamesa to support the first large-scale installation of recyclable blades at a UK offshore windfarm.
How will the project work?
The rotor blades will be made from innovative resin.
The aim is that when the blade has come to the end of its operating life, the materials can be separated and as a result be recycled.
This could also be used in vehicle components and consumer goods like bicycles, helmets and suitcases.
RWE’s Sofia Offshore Wind Farm is now being fitted with 150 recycled blades across half of its 100 wind turbines.
Once all the blades are fitted, Sofia is expected to be capable of generating enough renewable electricity to power approximately 1.2 million typical UK homes.
Thomas Michel, Chief Operating Officer at RWE Offshore Wind, said: "This installation represents an important moment for RWE and Sofia.
“Deploying recyclable blades at this scale is an indicator of RWE’s drive to deliver sustainability across its renewables fleet.
“By working with partners like Siemens Gamesa, we are setting a new sustainability benchmark for renewables development and helping significantly improve the circularity of offshore wind technology.”
What is Siemen Gamesa's new technology?
Siemens says it is aiming to improve the circularity of windfarms due to the number of installations and turbine size increasing.
This is alongside some countries aiming to introduce strict requirements for wind turbine recycling.
The company says it is committed to producing 100% recyclable turbines by 2040.
When wind turbine blades are decommissioned, they normally end up in landfill.
Siemens Gamesa has pioneered RecyclableBlade technology so the blades can be reused in other industries.
It says the change was simple with and only required the introduction of its new resin.
Darren Davidson, Vice President of Siemens Energy UK&I and Siemens Gamesa UK, says: "Seeing the first recyclable blades being installed in UK waters is a major landmark moment. This is a great example of how we can share knowledge and work together to deliver on both energy security and a net zero future.
“Our Hull factory is at the cutting edge of blade technology development & manufacturing.
“As a global leader in energy technology, we’re proud to be partnering with RWE on Sofia, one of the largest offshore wind farms in the world.”
RWE's sustainability goals
Within a year, RWE says halved its emissions from the plants it operates, aiming to continue this journey through building more wind and solar assets to make climate-friendly energy systems a reality.
By 2030, the company aims to have more than a 70% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions, with the end goal of achieving net zero by 2040.
Kunal Chandra, Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer at RWE, said on LinkedIn: “Sustainability in infrastructure and products starts with being smart right at the design phase and this is exactly what we have done with our partner Siemens Energy by installing recyclable blades in our Sofia Windfarm.
“Treating sustainability as an aftermath is already half the battle lost.
“Designing and Building smartly keeping all future implications in mind is the hallmark of an excellent company and excellent products.
“At RWE we design for Sustainability!”
