Wind energy helps us transition away from fossil fuels, but the turbine blades themselves have been a mounting trash problem. A new consortium is now planning to build the world’s first commercial manufacturing plant for recyclable wood blades in Navarra, Spain. 🚀
The project involves Voodin Blade Technology, Anker-Tec, VMG Wood Invest, and VMG Technics. They have secured 48.18 million euros from the EU Innovation Fund to get the facility running. The factory is expected to be ready by 2031 and will create roughly 450 new jobs.
Current turbine blades are typically made of fiberglass or carbon fiber reinforced with epoxy resin. This composition makes them nearly impossible to separate or recycle. Most are simply buried in landfills after their 20 to 25-year operational life. Global waste from these discarded blades is projected to reach 43 million tons by 2050.
While countries like Austria, Finland, Germany, and the Netherlands have already banned sending these blades to landfills, current recycling options remain thin. WindEurope reports that although 85% to 90% of a standard wind turbine is easily recyclable, the massive blades have remained a stubborn outlier until now.
Finally turning old wind turbines into something useful rather than burying the problem.
#windenergy #tech #sustainability
Xataka
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