What is the fate of worn wind turbine blades?
Have you ever thought about what happens to those big wind turbine blades when they’re no longer spinning in the wind? As more and more people want clean energy from sources like wind power, we’re putting up lots of wind turbines everywhere. These turbines are awesome for the environment, but they also come with some tricky things to figure out. One of the biggest puzzles is what to do with them when they’re done.
Disposing of old wind turbine blades is a challenge
Source: Shutterstock
From what experts have studied and seen so far, it seems like we need to switch out parts of those wind turbines about every 20 to 25 years. But here’s the tricky part: all these old parts are adding up and making a lot of waste. And guess what Figuring out what to do with the old blades from these turbines is a really big problem for the wind industry. This is especially true because materials like glass fibers or carbon fibers, which these blades are made of, are super hard to recycle. It’s like trying to solve a really tough puzzle.
Advances in industry and science give hope
Not too long ago, recycling wind turbine blades seemed like an impossible task. But guess what Science and technology are moving forward, and that’s good news! Smart people are always searching for new ways to make “green” energy even better and to make sure our environment stays healthy despite all the energy stuff we’re putting up.
So, just like they came up with ways to recycle solar panels, now they’re brainstorming ideas for the wind industry too. It’s like a team effort to make sure we’re taking care of our planet while still getting all the power we need.
Source: Shutterstock
Proposals for recycling wind turbine blades
Gels or granules?
Here’s a really cool and unexpected idea: turning old turbine blades into jelly beans! But hold on a second, not everyone agrees on this idea. It’s a bit of a debate. That’s why the thought of transforming those used blades into little pieces, like pellets, that could be used to make brand new stuff is catching more attention. It’s like giving those old blades a new life by using them to make useful things again. And this idea seems to be getting more thumbs up from folks.
Source: Shutterstock
Or shovel cement?
There is now a company in the US that is experimenting with recycling wind turbine blades for use in cement production.
This material is super strong and long-lasting. The tricky part is figuring out how to undo its engineering and physically break it down.
Chris Howell, senior director of operations at Veolia
The result of the process is the formation of small particles, which are later used as a substitute for cement.
Source: Shutterstock
In this situation, the blades go through a process where they’re ground down. But the real difficulty is in cutting them into smaller pieces beforehand, so they can be easily shredded later. This fresh idea is thought to help lower carbon emissions in the construction field. It’s a new way of doing things that could make building things more eco-friendly.
Rather than throwing them away as trash, we’re exploring ways to give these blades a second chance at usefulness, or even find ways to use them in a different industry.
Larry Bank, Scientist, The Re-Wind Network
Chemical recycling
Engineers from the Lithuanian University of Technology in Kaunas have come up with a clever idea for recycling wind turbine blades. They suggest using a method called “pyrolysis.” Sounds fancy, right? Well, pyrolysis is an advanced technique where the blades are broken down using really high temperatures and no oxygen. During this process, the blades can be taken apart into different parts, like phenol and fibers. It’s like taking these old blades and breaking them down into their smaller building blocks using heat.
The parts that easily turn into gas are mostly phenol, which can be used to make more resin, and the leftover fibers can find many different uses once they’re cleaned with chemicals.
dr Samy Yousef, an expert from the Kaunas University of Technology
Pyrolysis comes with a clear advantage: it’s almost waste-free. The cool thing is that the components that are recovered through this process can be used again. Both glass fiber and carbon fiber can be repurposed to create new products. It’s like giving these materials a second life and reducing waste at the same time.
Dissolving the reinforcing resin
To handle wind turbine parts, the resin that holds everything together needs to be removed first. The good news is that a company called Vestas from Denmark has figured out a way to do this using a special chemical technology. This tech lets them break down the turbine blades into smaller parts. It’s like solving a puzzle to take apart these blades and make them easier to work with.
Currently, Vestas hasn’t shared all the specifics of their process yet. So, we won’t go into all the details in this article. But we did provide some basic info in a separate piece, titled “Full Recycling of Wind Turbine Blades.” In that text, you can find more about this method and how it works.
There are also ideas for upcycling wind turbines
Source: Shutterstock
Currently, the main goal for old turbine blades isn’t exactly what they’ll be used for next, but rather to prevent them from becoming waste in landfills and taking up space on the ground. This is why various companies are exploring different ways to repurpose these blades. Each of these attempts brings us a step closer to our goal, even if they’re not perfect. It’s a process that requires time and a lot of effort to find the best solution.
And it’s not just about recycling; there’s also something called upcycling happening with wind farm parts. If you’re interested in recycling, you might want to look into upcycling too. We’ve already covered this in another article, so make sure to give it a read. In that article, we talk about an interesting example from Poland where they’re turning old wind turbine parts into benches and swings. But remember, this is just one instance – similar ideas are popping up all around the world.
Sources:
What happens to worn wind turbine blades? They need to be replaced every 20 years, businessinsider.com.pl
Wind turbine blades most difficult to recycle, www.cire.pl
Full recycling of wind turbine blades – future or false hope?, www.cire.pl
American scientists: used blades of wind turbines can be turned into gummies,energy.rp.pl
Scientists from GUT are looking for ways to dispose of used wind turbine blades, www.portalmorski.pl
Used wind turbine blades can be used?, samorzad.infor.pl
Turbines and blades will flood us. The unresolved problem of windmill recycling [COMMENTARY], energetyka24.com
Scientists are looking for ways to recycle worn wind turbine blades. It will be possible to re-use them in construction and architecture, Strefaagro.pl
Worn blades of windmills will help in the construction and modernization of Polish bridges, swiatoze.pl
Making green energy greener: Researchers propose method for wind turbine blades’ recycling, www.sciencedaily.com
Angela J. Nagle, Gerard Mullally, Paul G. Leahy, Niall P. Dunphy, Life cycle assessment of the use of decommissioned wind blades in second life applications, Journal of Environmental Management, www.sciencedirect.com