The complex end-of-life of wind turbine blades: A review of the European context

Beauson, Justine; Laurent, Alexis; Rudolph, David; Jensen, Jonas Pagh

doi:10.1016/j.rser.2021.111847

Cited by 83 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…The EoL of wind turbine blades is a complex issue, and various potential ways of recycling them have been discussed. 59 , 60 The present study’s model was built based on the fact that the most common current EoL process for disposing of wind turbine blades is currently the landfill. 61 − 63 Note that many European countries forbid landfilling waste depending on its total organic carbon content, 64 and the graphene applications in wind turbine blade composites have the potential to contain very significant amounts.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is mainly due to wind turbine applications, which have a 20-year use phase. The EoL of wind turbine blades is a complex issue, and various potential ways of recycling them have been discussed. , The present study’s model was built based on the fact that the most common current EoL process for disposing of wind turbine blades is currently the landfill. − Note that many European countries forbid landfilling waste depending on its total organic carbon content, and the graphene applications in wind turbine blade composites have the potential to contain very significant amounts . When these blades are decommissioned after a 20 year life span, inflows of GBMs into recycling, waste incineration plants, or landfills will increase tremendously.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prospective Dynamic and Probabilistic Material Flow Analysis of Graphene-Based Materials in Europe from 2004 to 2030

Hong

Part

Nowack

2022

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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As industrial demand for graphene-based materials (GBMs) grows, more attention falls on potential environmental risks. The present article describes a first assessment of the environmental releases of GBMs using dynamic probabilistic material flow analysis. The model considered all current or expected uses of GBMs from 2004 to 2030, during which time there have already been significant changes in how the graphene mass produced is distributed to different product categories. Although the volume of GBM production is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years, outflow from the consumption of products containing GBMs shows only a slightly positive trend due to their long lifetimes and the large in-use stock of some applications (e.g., GBM composites used in wind turbine blades). From consumption and end-of-life phase GBM mass flows in 2030, estimates suggest that more than 50% will be incinerated and oxidized in waste plants, 16% will be landfilled, 12% will be exported out of Europe, and 1.4% of the annual production will flow to the environment. Predicted release concentrations for 2030 are 1.4 ng/L in surface water and 20 μg/kg in sludge-treated soil. This study’s results could be used for prospective environmental risk assessments and as input for environmental fate models.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prospective Dynamic and Probabilistic Material Flow Analysis of Graphene-Based Materials in Europe from 2004 to 2030

Hong

Part

Nowack

2022

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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“…Glass fibre in the flue gas can also be problematic for the gas cleaning system, and a large amount of resultant fly-ash needs to be disposed of or used for a subsequent application. As Beauson et al (2022) state '. .…”

Section: Wind Eol Optionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A mini-review of end-of-life management of wind turbines: Current practices and closing the circular economy gap

Woo

Whale

2022

Waste Manag Res

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Renewable energy generation and increased electrification are pivotal to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change. Consequently, global deployment of wind turbines has soared, and the trend is expected to continue. Installed turbines have only recently started reaching the end of their design lives, and waste volumes are projected to escalate rapidly. Approximately 94% of a wind turbine (by mass) is recyclable, but the waste polymer composite blades are most commonly landfilled. This mini-review aims to review current end-of-life (EoL) management practices in the large-scale wind industry for countries with established EoL standards as well as those with less mature regulations. Data on current EoL management practices, initiatives and regulations in industry was sourced primarily from literature reviews and publicly available internet information. Additional insights and perspectives were gained from WindEurope’s EoL Issues and Strategies 2020 seminar and through communication with select individuals from various sectors such as wind energy development and operations, government, industry associations, academia and research organizations. The results show that the decision on EoL options is dictated by the remaining useful life (RUL) of the wind turbines, prevailing policies and electricity prices. The contribution of this article is, firstly, identifying a number of key technical, economic and regulatory questions that must be asked before deciding on the most appropriate EoL option. Secondly, the article identifies factors that impede current EoL management efforts to close the circular economy gap and those that can support sustainable technology deployment. Finally, the article considers the way that countries with a young fleet of wind farms may learn from more experienced nations. There are few proven business cases, and barriers to the profitability and effectiveness of EoL strategies include uncertainty about the assets’ RUL, collection logistics, the size of wind farm operation margins, low waste feedstock and limited markets for recycled products. Designing for circularity, stakeholder collaboration, circular business models and technology-specific regulations can improve EoL sustainability. The research found that wind turbine EoL management is dynamic and complex and needs to consider multiple, often conflicting factors. However, it is necessary and has immense environmental, technical and economic potential as the industry matures and business cases are proven.

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“…Composite structures complicate the realization of restorative strategies (e.g. recycling in a high quality) (Beauson et al 2022). Thus, research is needed to find alternatives.…”

Section: Products Levelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Circular supply chain management within the wind energy industry – conceptional ideas towards more circularity

Kramer¹,

Schmidt²

2022

Digitization of the Work Environment for Sustainable Production

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Supply chains have to be designed and managed to handle complexity and uncertainties. Recent events (e.g. Covid-19) have shown how fragile supply chains can be when assumptions for the design and management of supply chains are challenged. In addition, governments are striving for systemic changes towards more sustainability (e.g. European Green Deal). To meet the resulting requirements, the concept of circular economy and with it, circular supply chain management (CSCM) are gaining attention as they could contribute to building a sustainable and resilient system. The German wind energy industry, with its long track record, is a suitable application for further research on CSCM, as the industry operates predominantly in a linear system and relies on finite materials. Despite, research on CSCM for the wind energy industry is still rare. The aim of the paper is therefore to present conceptional ideas that enable an efficient design of a circular wind energy industry in Germany. Aspects from an organization, products and processes level of a CSCM are outlined. These ideas contribute to the state of the art and inspire future discussions between researchers and practitioners.

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The complex end-of-life of wind turbine blades: A review of the European context

Cited by 83 publications

References 72 publications

Prospective Dynamic and Probabilistic Material Flow Analysis of Graphene-Based Materials in Europe from 2004 to 2030

Prospective Dynamic and Probabilistic Material Flow Analysis of Graphene-Based Materials in Europe from 2004 to 2030

A mini-review of end-of-life management of wind turbines: Current practices and closing the circular economy gap

Circular supply chain management within the wind energy industry – conceptional ideas towards more circularity

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