The world’s first surf tables made with material from the recycling of wind turbine blades are the most recent result of the initiatives that it is carried out in different countries to guarantee responsible management of the materials of its wind park.
But it is not the only one. In fact, in recent years, Actiona Energía has developed several pilot projects to reuse recycled blades materials: from the construction of a torsion beam that is used to support the photovoltaic modules of the Extremadura I, II, III plant, until the launch of shoes together with the goose whose soles have been manufactured with recycled blades material.
They are proposals, possibilities and projects to open the way in the search for innovative ways to transform wind blades into disuse into new materials and products. Because the end of the useful life of wind turbines implies the availability of a large number of quality materials and very valuable for different industrial sectors. In Spain, specifically and according to the Wind Business Association, the estimate is that by 2030 the blades that have been 25 years or more in operation will be about 79,500 tons.
Innovation potential
In the words of Mariola Domenech, director of sustainability of Acta Energía, “we know that in the next 10 to 15 years countries such as Australia will generate a large volume of disused wind turbine shovels, so we are already acting to explore new ways of recycling and reusing the materials with which they are built.” The reference to Australia is because there has been where those first surf tables were born, in a project called Turbine Made that has had the collaboration of the professional surfer Josh Kerr and his Draft Surf brand.
In total, ten prototypes have been developed using a dismantled shovel of the Waubra wind farm in Victoria. They have been handmade and incorporate blades on the roof, to improve the resistance and flexion control; The keels, with recycled glass fiberglass, offer stability, impulse and speed; and the outer layer, which is reinforced with recycled particles.
For Domenech, “the recycling of blades not only closes the circle of wind energy, which is a key pillar of the energy transition, but also opens a range of innovation opportunities and reflects how creative, practical and sustainable solutions are being created that benefit both the industry and the environment.”
The Turbine Made initiative and its surf boards have an antecedent in the form of footwear soles. They were the result of the collaboration between ACCIONA and the European Fashion Brand the goose from which a line of shoes with recycled blades in their soles came out. All of them, as Domenech says «are projects to reinvent the use of the materials of the dismantled blades and bring innovation in circular economy to a new level. Because, he adds, this area of the components of the blades has not been developed so far as others ».
The director of sustainability of Actal Energía emphasizes that “it is not just about reducing waste, also a responsible management of the product that guarantees that what we build today does not become the environmental challenge of tomorrow.”
With this objective, the company is facing that for Domenech it is “the most relevant project: the creation of Waste2fiber, a recycling and valorization plant that we are developing in Navarra and we hope to start building next year.” It will be located in the town of Lumbier, the plan is that it is operational in 2026 and will have the capacity to process 6,000 tons per year and recover glass and carbon fibers for sectors such as automotive and construction.
Circular alliances
To take advantage of the innovation potential that involves the availability of these resources, various alliances are being constituted, such as Renercycle. This is an initiative to develop circular economy solutions for the wind sector, which will also include component rearry and the promotion of new business lines for the recycling of materials such as metallic elements, compounds of shovels and gondolas, and organic materials.
Acting energy is integrated in this alliance with other energy and engineering companies. In addition, the Ecological Services Company of Navarra (SEN) has joined this alliance and both entities will collaborate in the waste management and recycling of materials from the dismantling of wind farms and the forecast is that the first project be executed in May of this year.
Circular and more
Circular repowering is a subprogram launched by the Miteco, which will finance six pioneer projects aimed at creating the first recycling plants of wind shovels in Spain, among which is Waste2fiber.
Other exploration solutions are mechanical recycling to produce applicable materials in the construction, the manufacture of urban furniture and the creation of acoustic barriers. All of them R&D projects to develop advanced technologies result of the joint effort between the public and private sectors to promote the circular economy in renewable energies and green employment.