Presentations

Abstract

The increasing deployment of wind energy worldwide has brought attention to the challenge of managing end-of-life wind turbine blades, which are primarily manufactured from composite materials that are difficult to recycle. Current disposal methods often involve landfilling or incineration, which present environmental concerns and fail to align with circular economy principles. This work explores sustainable recycling approaches for these composite materials, focusing on thermal and chemical processes that enable material recovery while minimizing environmental impact.  The pyrolysis process demonstrates effective recovery of glass fibers in suitable condition for reuse in new applications. This thermal treatment also yields valuable liquid and gaseous fractions - the liquid phase can be utilized either as fuel or for the recovery of chemical compounds of interest, while the gaseous phase, when processed with specific catalysts, shows enhanced hydrogen recovery potential. Complementarily, solvolysis proves effective in breaking down the resin matrices while preserving the glass fibers. This chemical process allows for the recovery of monomers and other organic compounds that can be directly reintroduced into the production of new composite materials for wind turbine manufacturing.  Both methods address the technical challenges of composite recycling while offering practical solutions for the wind energy sector. The recovered materials maintain sufficient quality for potential reuse, supporting the industry's transition toward more sustainable life cycle management of turbine components. This research contributes to developing practical circular economy approaches specifically tailored for wind energy applications. Additionally, this presentation will showcase the REWIND project, which focuses specifically on WTB recycling. The project's latest findings will be presented, including technological developments and results achieved to date in advancing sustainable recycling solutions for the wind energy sector