Paused wind turbine blades

Should wind farms be disposed of tough turbine blades?

As more wind farms are decommissioned ways need to be found to dispose of their tough turbine blades.

How long do wind turbine blades last?

As wind turbine blades typically have a lifetime of around 25 years, actions such as extended producer responsibility is not expected to have an immediate impact on the amount of waste, compared to other measures such as landfill bans. 4. Technical challenges

How can wind turbine blades be cut?

Different technologies may be used for cutting. The GenVind project (2012–2016) investigated several techniques, which were reviewed and described by Jensen and Skelton . They list wire saw, circular saw and water jet cutting. The materials obtained from end-of-life wind turbine blades may be found in a shape close to the original ones.

What happens to wind turbine blades at the end of their life cycle?

Perched atop towers hundreds of feet tall, overlooking grassy plains or windy seas, sleek white blades trace slow powerful circles through the air.

Why are wind turbine blades difficult to re-process?

Due to the nature of the materials used in wind turbine blades, namely glass fibre reinforced thermoset polymer composite, wind turbine blades are technically difficult to re-process and convert into new valuable materials.

Can wind turbine blades be recycled?

Innovative solutions such as repurposing blades into playgrounds or bike sheds have been shown to be effective at a local level but, with some experts predicting up to 43 million tonnes of wind turbine blade waste by 2050, there is a pressing need for a system that will work on a bigger scale.