Renewable energy loses its promise of sustainability if these blade carcasses fill graveyards, rather than be repurposed to address other environmental challenges. However, glass recycling is a well-established industry, making solar panels - of which 75% is glass - easily recyclable, and the silicone and precious metals can be separated and refined via chemical and electrical processes. The recycling of solar is highly profitable and is expected to grow from $170 million in 2022 to $2.7 billion in 2030 and $80 billion in 2050 with companies like SOLARCYCLE partnering with solar providers to show us how 95% of materials can be re-integrated into the supply chain. Circular Economy Solutions Veolia is a processing plant in Missouri which shreds turbine blades. This mechanical method can recover more than 90% of the weight of the blades: 65% in the form of a raw material, replacing sand, clay and other materials, and 28% as an alternative fuel, replacing coal to provide the energy needed for the chemical reaction in the cement kiln . Cement produced this way has exactly the same properties as traditional cement. This process, however, jeopardizes the main qualities of the fiberglass, which is not cost-effective, as the energy expended impacts material quality. Moreover, while alternative fuel is more efficient than burning coal, cement manufacturing still contributes 8% to gas emissions. Tennessee—based Carbon Rivers has developed and commercialized technologies such as second-generation polymer composites, providing end of life recycle and upcycle processes for turbine blades. Currently, they recover clean mechanically intact glass fiber. But what about other cost-effective reuse projects which don’t put materials through chemical or mechanical processes, or which adapt the turbines’ defined form? Global and Regional Perspectives Legislation in the EU may act as a model for promoting circular economy initiatives in the green technology supply chain. The EU has long understood downstream waste-stream reduction. WindEurope called for an EU-wide ban on landfilling turbines, creating cross-industry collaborations in 2020, and this acted as a ‘key driver of post-COVID-19 economic recovery’ .
The main technologies for recycling composite waste in the EU are through cement co-processing such as the type of mechanical processing, which involves transforming blades into a raw material. Legislative developments across several states reflect a widespread recognition of the need for responsible waste management strategies for wind farms. In Ohio, for example, Law SB 52 mandates that local authorities play a more significant role in the approval of wind project bids, requiring developers to submit detailed decommissioning plans prior to construction. Plans must outline estimated costs, responsible parties, relevant timelines and financial assurances ensuring that funds are available when needed. The same improvements and mandates to renewable energy facilities are applicable to developers in California, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Maine and Iowa. JOANNA DAVIES Joanna Davies is a Senior Researcher at the G20 Research Group, Ü iÀià i>>ÞâiÃ}L>«VÞ>`}ÛiÀ>Vi°- i>ÃÜÀÃ>à a Project Development Associate at a renewable energy company in New York, contributing to innovative climate resilience projects and ÃÕÃÌ>>LiiiÀ}ÞÃÕÌð>> `Ã> Ƃ iÌ VÃvÀ NYU’s School of Global Public Health, where her research explored the intersections of technology and neuroethics, health economics, >`ÀiÃÕÀViVvVÌðiÀÜÀiÝ>ià Üi}>vÀ>iÜÀà and economic factors shape public health systems, with a particular vVÕÃiÛÀiÌ>ÃÕÃÌ>>LÌÞ° J}ÓäÀ}ÜÜÜ°}Óä°ÕÌÀÌ°V>
1 Cooperman, A., Eberle, A., Lantz, E., 2021, Wind turbine blade material in the United States: Quantities, costs, and end-of-life options, Resources, Conservation and Recycling Volume 168. 2 Andersen, P.D. et al., 2014. Recycling of wind turbines, DTU International Energy Report 2014 grow from $170 PLOOLRQLQWRELOOLRQLQDQGELOOLRQLQZLWKFRPSDQLHVOLNH62/$5&<&/(SDUWQHULQJZLWKVRODUSURYLGHUVWRVKRZXVKRZ RI materials can be re-integrated into the supply chain. 3 Rystad Energy Press Release 6 July 2022: Reduce, reuse: Solar PV recycling market to be worth $2.7 billion by 2030. 4 https://www.up-to-us.veolia.com/en/recycling/recycling-used-wind-turbine-blades . 5 https://windeurope.org/newsroom/press-releases/ cross-sector-industry-platform-outlines-best-strategies-for-the-recycling-of-wind-turbine-blades/
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