PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Wind turbine blades are made of glass-fibre reinforced plastic (GFRP), a composite material that is difficult to recycle and is thus currently disposed of in landfills. The disposal of such non-biodegradable waste has negative environmental impacts as well as health impacts linked to its inhalation or ingestion.
The three blades of a standard 2MW wind turbine contain around 12 tonnes of GFRP. At the end of 2015, the wind turbines installed in Europe provided up to 120.81 GW, requiring more than 750 000 tonnes of GFRP. Spain has the second largest installed wind energy capacity in Europe and fourth largest in the world, with more than 23 GW – requiring around 138 000 tonnes of GFRP. Most Spanish wind farms are located in the region of Castile and León.
The amount of GFRP will continue to increase as more wind turbines are installed and the number of turbines with larger blades increases. Today, the average turbine blade is 50 m long, but blades of up to 75 m are starting to be installed.
OBJECTIVES
The LIFE REFIBRE project aimed to promote the integrated management of GFRP from end-of-life wind turbine blades. Specifically, it planned to promote the recycling and use of the main compound – glass fibre – by incorporating it into asphalt pavements.
The project planned to design and create an innovative prototype plant for recycling wind turbine blades and obtaining glass fibres. The fibres would then be introduced into asphalt mixes for road pavement construction. The fibres would improve the mechanical properties of road pavement, increasing its durability and reducing maintenance requirements (and therefore costs).
LIFE REFIBRE aimed to contribute to the implementation of EU environmental policies, in particular the Circular Economy Action Plan and the Waste Framework Directive, under which landfilling should be reduced and recycling increased.
RESULTS
The LIFE REFIBRE project produced a prototype plant for the mechanical recycling of dismantled wind turbine blades. Twelve blades were collected and treated to obtain their glass fibres. This recycled material was then incorporated into bituminous mixtures that were used to construct a demonstration road section. The performance of this road section was monitored for a year, assessing the suitability of different asphalt mixtures. Overall, the road performed better using the project’s methodology than using conventional mixtures.
The project drew up a business plan for establishing a company that would focus on the recycling of dismantled wind blades, but such a company has yet to be created due to legal and economic constraints. However, the right procedures have been put in place and the project beneficiaries are committed to following through on the plan as soon as the situation improves. The project team requested support to construct the first recycling plant in the context of the call for expression of interest within the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan of the Spanish Government. Furthermore, the project carried out market research and engaged stakeholders to ensure the continuation of the project. It received letters of support from relevant stakeholders, such as wind blades producers, wind farm managers, public administrations and waste managers. It also made contact with asphalt producers associations to explore future cooperation on the drawing up of guidelines on the use of recycled glass fibres in asphalt pavements.
Finally, the project methodology can be considered to directly benefit the environment by reducing landfilled waste and incineration, along with their associated greenhouse gas emissions. The 12 blade recycled contained 27 tonnes of glass fibres, of which 16 tonnes were recovered (56% of the total). Around 14.3 tonnes of these fibres were valorised and used in the asphalt mixtures developed for the demonstrative road section. It can therefore be calculated that associated emissions were reduced by 56% compared to landfilling or incinerated. The project thus contributed to the implementation of the Waste Framework Directive and the Circular Economy Strategy.
Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Communication Plan (see "Read more" section).
