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This is How Wind Turbine Rotor Blades Could be Meaningfully Recycled

Against this background, the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) developed a comprehensive study in 2022. It now provides standards for a high-quality and economically viable processing and treatment strategy for rotor blades. The rotor blades essentially consist of an upper and lower shell in a sandwich design. These can be divided into three fractions: fiber composites, metals, and foams, balsa wood and coatings. In newer and larger wind turbines, apart from GFRP, CFRP is increasingly encountered. It should also be noted that lead shot is sometimes used as a balancing mass in rotor blade tips. And the heavy metal lead is known to be anything but uncritical for humans and the environment.

It is projected that by the year 2040, Germany will have between 326,000 and 430,000 tons of pure glass fiber-reinforced plastic waste from rotor blades. For the same period, analyses indicate that the expected amount of waste mix from CFRP and GFRP from rotor blades could range between 77,000 and 212,000 tons. For comparison: The waste generation of a city like Bremen amounts to about 300,000 tons. The estimated annual waste volumes, spread across both types of fiber-reinforced plastics, are between 3,000 to 75,000 tons of GFRP and between 1,000 to 3,000 tons of CFRP. According to the mentioned study by the Federal Environment Agency, there will be a significant increase in this type of material waste in the early 2030s. However, data collection is difficult.

The UBA therefore proposes introducing a product passport for wind turbines or rotor blades. This could significantly improve waste management because detailed product knowledge facilitates recycling processes. Furthermore, descriptions of the materials used in terms of type, quantity, and location in the rotor blade—possibly with disassembly instructions—can greatly improve processing. When considering the shredding of rotor blade waste, the primary goal is to fully break down the components as much as possible. It is important to separate the metallic materials and valuable CFRP components. For recycling, the rotors are then shredded step by step. The preliminary shredding of the rotor blades is guided by the dimensions of the transport containers, with lengths between 6 and 12 meters (approx. between 20 and 39 ft). The shredding steps should occur in as few stages as possible. In particular, dust emissions are to be avoided, which is why the disassembly process should generally be carried out in enclosed spaces. This improves occupational safety and also reduces the noise generated. Saw dust can be bound with liquids to capture it. However, lead shot must be treated with special care to prevent harm.