Vattenfall has set a goal that all wind turbine blades in wind projects that the company is behind must be recyclable by 2030. To achieve this goal, Vattenfall has decided to introduce a new blade type from Siemens Gamesa, the so-called RecycableBlades, on the wind turbines in Hollandse Kust Zuid, the company said in a statement.
- The wind industry continues to grow, and so does the number of blades that will eventually reach the end of their service life. Vattenfall is strongly committed to promoting a circular economy and reducing the environmental impact throughout the product's entire life cycle. Using reusable wind turbine blades is a logical next step towards achieving these ambitions, says Eva Philipp, Head of Environment & Sustainability Unit at Vattenfall.
Although most parts of a wind turbine can be recycled after the end of their service life, the blades are a challenge. The problem lies in the resin used for the blade construction, combined with glass and carbon fiber. It typically requires high temperatures, high pressure, special processes or a combination of all three to dissolve the resin.
Siemens Gamesas RecyclableBlades use a type of resin that dissolves in a mildly acidic solution at low temperature. This process separates the resin from the other components in the blade – glass fiber, carbon fiber, plastic, wood and metal – without significantly affecting their properties. This makes it possible to later recycle the components into new products.
Siemens Gamesas was launched in 2021, but availability is still limited. Hollandse Kust Zuid will be the first Vattenfall project where the blades will be used on some of the 140 wind turbines in the wind farm.
In addition, Vattenfall has also secured blades of this type for the next project, Hollandse Kust West. If Vattenfall is awarded the project, several wind turbines will be equipped with Siemens Gamesa's RecyclableBlades.
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