In 2021, Vattenfall committed to an immediate landfill ban and set a goal to recycle 50 % of all wind turbine blades from its owned farms by 2025, with a target of 100 % by 2030. The company is now incorporating nacelle canopies and nose cones into its strategy, enforcing an immediate ban on landfilling these materials. The expanded target is already being integrated into existing wind farm decommissioning contracts.
“Expanding our recycling target is a crucial step towards achieving a circular business by 2030,” said Eva Julius-Philipp, director of Environment & Sustainability at Vattenfall BA Wind. “Our aim is to ensure that all decommissioned turbine composite materials are processed through circular methods – such as re-use, refurbishment repurposing, and recycling. This will prevent composite waste from ending up in landfills and instead make it available for second-life applications. By addressing this now, we avoid the risk of these materials being lost for the circular economy.”
Collaborations with various partners are already underway to refurbish, repurpose, or recycle turbine components. Notable projects include a concept study with Lloyd’s Arkitektkontor in Denmark to repurpose turbine blades for use in parking structures, and a Dutch initiative to convert a nacelle into a small house.
“To develop effective large-scale commercial solutions for recycling composite materials, extensive research is essential. Given that wind industry composite materials represent only about 10 % of the total, it’s crucial that other sectors also adopt ambitious recycling goals to prevent landfill disposal,” said Helle Herk-Hansen, VP Environment.
In conjunction with this announcement, the University of Leeds and regie in transitie are launching the Circular Wind Guide. This guide, based on the scientific publication “A Framework and Baseline for the Integration of a Sustainable Circular Economy in Offshore Wind” by Dr Anne Velenturf (University of Leeds) introduces implemented circular strategies for the wind sector.
