EcoWatch
Facebook 573k Twitter 238k Instagram 37k Subscribe Subscribe
  • Climate
  • Energy
  • Policy
  • Renewables
  • Culture
  • Science
  • Go Solar Today
      • Top Companies By State
        • California Solar Companies
        • Texas Solar Companies
        • New York Solar Companies
        • Florida Solar Companies
        • See All States
      • Top Incentives By State
        • California Solar Incentives
        • Texas Solar Incentives
        • New York Solar Incentives
        • Florida Solar Incentives
        • See All States
      • Solar Panel Costs By State
        • Solar Panel Costs in California
        • Solar Panel Costs in Texas
        • Solar Panel Costs in New York
        • Solar Panel Costs in Florida
        • See All States
      • Value of Solar by State
        • Is Solar Worth It In California?
        • Is Solar Worth It in Texas?
        • Is Solar Worth It New York?
        • Is Solar Worth It In Florida?
        • See All States
      • Company Reviews
        • Tesla Solar Review
        • Sunrun Solar Review
        • SunPower Solar Review
        • Vivint Solar Review
        • See All Companies
      • Common Solar Questions
        • Can You Get Free Solar Panels?
        • Does Solar Increase Home Value?
        • What’re The Best Solar Batteries?
        • Can You Finance Solar?
        • Where To Buy Solar Panels?
        • Payback On Solar Panels?
      • Solar Resources
        • Interactive Solar Calculator
        • Federal Solar Tax Credit 2023
        • Best Solar Panels For Most Homes
        • Tesla Solar Roof Review
        • Cheapest Solar Panels
      • Companies Compared
        • SunPower vs Tesla Solar
        • SunRun vs Tesla Solar
        • SunRun vs SunPower
        • SunPower vs Momentum Solar
        • SunPower vs ADT Solar
EcoWatch
  • Climate
  • Energy
  • Policy
  • Renewables
  • Culture
  • Science
  • Go Solar Today
    • Go Solar Today
    • Top Companies By State
      • California Solar Companies
      • Texas Solar Companies
      • New York Solar Companies
      • Florida Solar Companies
      • See All States
    • Top Incentives By State
      • California Solar Incentives
      • Texas Solar Incentives
      • New York Solar Incentives
      • Florida Solar Incentives
      • See All States
    • Solar Panel Costs By State
      • Solar Panel Costs in California
      • Solar Panel Costs in Texas
      • Solar Panel Costs in New York
      • Solar Panel Costs in Florida
      • See All States
    • Value of Solar by State
      • Is Solar Worth It In California?
      • Is Solar Worth It in Texas?
      • Is Solar Worth It New York?
      • Is Solar Worth It In Florida?
      • See All States
    • Company Reviews
      • Tesla Solar Review
      • Sunrun Solar Review
      • SunPower Solar Review
      • Vivint Solar Review
      • See All Companies
    • Common Solar Questions
      • Can You Get Free Solar Panels?
      • Does Solar Increase Home Value?
      • What’re The Best Solar Batteries?
      • Can You Finance Solar?
      • Where To Buy Solar Panels?
      • Payback On Solar Panels?
    • Solar Resources
      • Interactive Solar Calculator
      • Federal Solar Tax Credit 2023
      • Best Solar Panels For Most Homes
      • Tesla Solar Roof Review
      • Cheapest Solar Panels
    • Companies Compared
      • SunPower vs Tesla Solar
      • SunRun vs Tesla Solar
      • SunRun vs SunPower
      • SunPower vs Momentum Solar
      • SunPower vs ADT Solar

The best of EcoWatch right in your inbox. Sign up for our email newsletter!

    • About EcoWatch
    • Contact EcoWatch
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Learn About Solar Energy
    Facebook 573k Twitter 238k Instagram 37k
    EcoWatch
    • About EcoWatch
    • Contact EcoWatch
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Learn About Solar Energy
    Facebook 573k Twitter 238k Instagram 37k
    Home Renewable Energy

    Recycled Turbine Blades to Join One of the World’s Largest Offshore Wind Farms

    By: Olivia Rosane
    Updated: March 10, 2023
    Edited by Chris McDermott
    Facebook icon Twitter icon Pinterest icon Email icon
    Recyclable wind turbine blades being transported
    Recyclable wind turbine blades being transported from a Siemens Gamesa factory in Hull, UK. Siemens Gamesa
    Why you can trust us

    Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

    Facebook icon Twitter icon Pinterest icon Email icon

    One of the greatest environmental challenges of the renewable energy transition is ensuring that the new energy-generating devices themselves — from solar panels to wind turbines to lithium batteries — are made and disposed of sustainably. 

    That’s why it’s promising that recycled turbine blades are catching wind. Major turbine maker Siemens Gamesa announced Thursday that some of its recycled blades would find a home in the UK’s Dogger Bank wind complex, one of the largest offshore wind farms in the world. 

    “Our industry-leading RecyclableBlade technology is now delivering even greater circularity of resources,” CEO of Siemens Gamesa’s offshore business Marc Becker said in a press release. 

    We’ve been selected to supply 132 blades to @RWE_AG’s Sofia offshore wind project off the east coast of the UK.
    ♻️ Invented in 2021, our #RecyclableBlades allow for the full reclamation of the blade’s components at the end of the product’s life cycle.
    💻 https://t.co/7N8SyQystu pic.twitter.com/CvS97G9rgq

    — Siemens Gamesa (@SiemensGamesa) March 9, 2023

    Wind turbine blades are typically built around a core material like wood or polyethylene terephthalate foam (PET) with glass, carbon fiber and a resin, SiemensGamesa explained. While 85 percent of the average turbine is recyclable in theory, it has been difficult to recycle the blades because of the challenge of separating the materials from the resin after the blade has been cured. Because of this, most turbine blades are landfilled, and they make up around 10 percent of Europe’s fiber-reinforced composite (FRP) waste. This waste poses a problem in landfills because it takes up space, contaminates soil, air and groundwater and can even spread infectious diseases, according to the Scholarly Community Encyclopedia. Because of this, several European countries have banned FRP waste in landfills altogether, Siemens Gamesa said. 

    More From EcoWatch
    • What Are Solar Panels Made Of?
    • Solar Shingles Vs. Solar Panels
    • Monocrystalline Vs. Polycrystalline Solar Panels

    To solve the problem of wind turbine disposal, Siemens Gamesa developed its RecyclableBlade by using a different type of resin that is easier to separate from the other components at the end of a turbine’s life. The recycling process comes in four stages:

    1. Removing the blades from the turbine.
    2. Heating the blades in a mild acidic solution until the components separate.
    3. Removing the separated components and readying them for reuse.
    4. Giving the old ingredients new life, for example in the automotive industry or in casings for flat-screen TVs. 

    Siemens Gamesa’s RecyclableBlades were used for the first time at a commercial scale in 2022, according to the press release. German energy company RWE first installed them in its Kaskasi offshore wind power project in the German North Sea.

    Now, RWE is working with Siemens Gamesa again, placing the largest commercial order for recyclable turbine blades. Forty-four of 100 turbines in RWE’s Sofia offshore wind project will have the recyclable blades, RWE said in a press release. Sofia is one of four wind farms planned for the UK’s Dogger Bank in the North Sea, as Elektrek explained. It is also RWE’s largest offshore wind project. 

     “We are delighted to have secured this agreement with Siemens Gamesa. Sofia is our largest offshore wind farm to date and this world first is a significant step in taking the long-term sustainability of offshore wind farms to the next level,” RWE Offshore Wind CEO Sven Utermöhlen said in the RWE release. “RWE believe this is the right direction for the future of our sector, which has sustainability at its core.” 

    Sofia, our largest offshore wind farm in construction, is set to receive the world's largest ever order of recyclable blades. After signing an agreement with @SiemensGamesa, 44% of the blades used on the UK wind farm will be recyclable.

    — RWE AG (@RWE_AG) March 9, 2023

    The 132 blades in the order will be the first 108-meter long B108 RecyclableBlades used in the field, Siemens Gamesa said. 

    “When we began working with RWE on the Kaskasi project, we knew that we had taken the first major steps toward delivering a decisive change to the wind sector. Having the opportunity to produce and install 132 RecyclableBlades for the Sofia project is a remarkable achievement. It fully demonstrates the joint focus between our companies to develop and deliver even greater levels of sustainability for renewable power generation globally,” Becker said.

    All of the Siemens Gamesa blades will be made in a factory in Hull, UK, while 50 percent of the Sofia blades overall will be made in the UK, RWE pledged. Siemens Gamesa is working towards a goal of making 100 percent recyclable turbines by 2040.

    Subscribe to get exclusive updates in our daily newsletter!

      By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from EcoWatch Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content.

      Olivia Rosane

      Olivia Rosane is a freelance writer and reporter with a decade’s worth of experience. She has been contributing to EcoWatch daily since 2018 and has also covered environmental themes for Treehugger, The Trouble, YES! Magazine and Real Life. She holds a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Cambridge and a master’s in Art and Politics from Goldsmiths, University of London.
      Facebook icon Twitter icon Pinterest icon Email icon

      Read More

      <strong>TikTok Campaign Targets Controversial Alaska Willow Oil Project</strong>
      With 161.5 million views and counting on TikTok alone, the
      By Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
      Italy Moves to Ban 'Meaty' Language on Plant-Based Products
      Italy has joined the list of countries moving to restrict
      By Paige Bennett
      Climate-Fueled Fires, Warming Threaten Western Forests
      Two new studies highlight the vulnerability of California forests. Climate
      By Climate Nexus

      Subscribe to get exclusive updates in our daily newsletter!

        By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from EcoWatch Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content.

        Latest Articles

        • Recycled Turbine Blades to Join One of the World’s Largest Offshore Wind Farms
          by Olivia Rosane
          March 10, 2023
        • TikTok Campaign Targets Controversial Alaska Willow Oil Project
          by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
          March 10, 2023
        • Italy Moves to Ban ‘Meaty’ Language on Plant-Based Products
          by Paige Bennett
          March 10, 2023
        • Climate-Fueled Fires, Warming Threaten Western Forests
          by Climate Nexus
          March 10, 2023
        • Australia’s Renewable Energy Investments Surged by 10x in Fourth Quarter of 2022
          by Olivia Rosane
          March 10, 2023
        • EPA Proposes ‘Strongest Ever’ Standards for Keeping Coal Plant Pollution Out of U.S. Waterways
          by Olivia Rosane
          March 9, 2023
        • Rising Temperatures Due to Climate Change Will Reduce Coffee Production Globally, Study Suggests
          by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
          March 9, 2023
        • Wildfire Smoke Linked to Ozone Layer Damage
          by Paige Bennett
          March 9, 2023
        EcoWatch

        The best of EcoWatch right in your inbox. Sign up for our email newsletter!

          • Climate Climate
          • Animals Animals
          • Health + Wellness Health + Wellness
          • Insights + Opinion Insights + Opinion
          • Adventure Adventure
          • Oceans Oceans
          • Business Business
          • Solar Solar
          • About EcoWatch
          • Contact EcoWatch
          • EcoWatch Reviews
          • Terms of Use
          • Privacy Policy
          • Learn About Solar Energy
          • Learn About Deregulated Energy
          • EcoWatch UK
          Follow Us
          Facebook 573k
          Twitter 238k
          Instagram 37k
          Subscribe Subscribe

          Experts for a healthier planet and life.

          Mentioned by:
          Learn more