The Netherlands – Vattenfall and BASF will use Siemens Gamesa RecyclableBlades on the Hollandse Kust Zuid offshore wind farm.
The blades are made of a new type of resin that allows the different materials to be separated and reused more easily. The new blades will be installed on three of the 140 turbines.
Vattenfall announced last year that it hopes to be able to reuse all wind turbine blades by 2030. Although most turbine parts can already be reused, the blades are more difficult. This is due to the resin, which is fused with fiberglass and carbon to form the structure of the blade. Only when exposed to a combination of high temperatures, high pressure, and special treatments does the resin dissolve. This consumes a lot of energy and is thus costly. Furthermore, the quality of the various materials degrades as a result of these extreme conditions.
Novel resin
Siemens Gamesa’s RecyclableBlades employ a novel resin that dissolves when the blade is immersed in a heated, slightly acidic solution. This separates the resin from the blade’s parts without seriously damaging them. The glass and carbon fibers, as well as the wooden parts, plastic, and metal, can then be reused.
Vattenfall’s first project to use them is Hollandse Kust Zuid 1-4. The blades are scheduled to be installed in 2023.
