Recyclable wind turbine blades will be produced in France, in Calvados. In fact, the offshore wind farm in Calvados will use a new model of blades, the RecyclableBlade. Thus, these blades have the particularity of being able to be recycled at the end of their service life. It is the first French wind farm to undertake such a process.
Recyclable blades from Siemens Gamesa
Siemens Gamesa will supply the blades. These respond to a major problem of the sector: the management of the end of life of these. The wind turbines, especially those at sea, are on the one hand difficult to accept by the inhabitants of the coasts, but also by the ecologists on the other hand, who denounce the destruction of the fauna and the marine flora.
In addition, their lifespan remains short, between 15 and 30 years. Thus, from 2025 onwards, the dismantling of nearly 1 GW per year is expected, linked to the end of life of wind turbines. Therefore, the recycling of the blades is an important issue.
Previously, the recyclable elements of an offshore wind turbine were the generator, the steering system, the gearbox, or the hub. However, magnets and blades are the most difficult elements to recycle even today, due to their materials.
Semiens Gamesa’s RecyclableBlade has a new resin that facilitates its use in other industries.
Filippo Cimitan, General Manager in France of Siemens Gamesa, explains:
“After three years of research, we developed a new resin with a supplier that has the property of being reversible without altering the physical characteristics of the blade. Simply dipping the resin into a slightly heated acid bath separates the resin, carbon and fiberglass.”
However, this device will only concern 10 of the 64 wind turbines making up the park. It will have a capacity of 450 MW. The park will be commissioned by 2024. It will provide energy to 630,000 French homes.
