RENEW

The offshore wind sector is growing rapidly. At the same time, more and more wind turbines are approaching the end of their service life. Much of a turbine can already be recycled, but the blades in particular remain a challenge. They are made from different materials that are difficult to separate.

RENEW (Responsible End-of-life Navigation for Offshore Wind) brings together companies and knowledge institutions from Flanders, the Netherlands and Wallonia to develop solutions to this challenge. The project looks at the entire chain, from dismantling and transport to processing, recycling and reuse.

RENEW explores how end-of-life wind turbine blades can be given a second life as efficiently as possible. New methods are being developed and tested to cut, transport and process the blades. In doing so, the partners take into account technical, logistical, environmental and economic feasibility.

The composition and origin of the materials are also being mapped. This will make it easier to determine what can be done with the different parts of a blade after dismantling. Various solutions will then be tested in practice through pilot projects.

RENEW aims to contribute to a circular approach to end-of-life wind turbine blades. Its main objectives are to:

• give more materials from end-of-life blades a new, high-value application;
• make wind turbine blade processing more efficient and economically viable;
• strengthen cooperation between the different links in the chain;
• support companies and public authorities in future decisions on dismantling and processing;
• make the knowledge gained more widely applicable in Flanders, the Netherlands and beyond.