Like any other industry concerned about the environmental and social impact from its activities, clean energy industry must not only endeavor to reduce carbon emissions from electric power but also turn the entire value chain of renewables as circular as possible.
Wind energy is one of the fastest-growing sources of electricity generation and vital for reducing carbon emissions from electric power. As part of the European Green Deal, the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan provides for scaling up the circular economy to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. The wind industry is committed to full recyclability of wind turbines and other components. This will also require significant investment in repowering and lifetime extension of existing wind farms. Wind fleet is ageing nearly half of Europe’s existing wind farms will reach the end of their normal life by 2030 – and the substantial share of wind turbines are reaching their end of life, so recycling and circular economy practices will become key. Shifts in recycling technologies, new materials, extended useful life, and innovative reuse are needed to move toward a circular economy for wind turbine blades.
