Blade recycling first

This project is set up to commercialise a revolutionary method developed by the University of Strathclyde to separate the glass-fibre and resin components in composites and recover the glass-fibre component which can then be reprocessed, moulded, and reused in other industries.

The pilot will now get underway to develop a commercially viable solution, overseen by a consortium led by Aker Offshore Wind, and including trade body Composites UK, and researchers at the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Composites Group and Lightweight Manufacturing Centre, which is a part of the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland Group.

Malcolm Forsyth, sustainability manager at Composites UK and overall project leader, said: “This project is a vital step towards establishing a commercial recycling route for composite materials in the UK and beyond, covering both wind turbine blades and several other applications in the construction and transport sectors.

“Composite materials combining glass-fibre and polymer resin systems, have a huge role to play in enabling the UK economy to transition to net zero and we need effective recycling at end of life to ensure that composite materials achieve high levels of circularity in future.”

GB£1.3m from Innovate UK

Innovate UK, the UK Government’s innovation agency, has awarded GB£1.3m to the project, with Aker Offshore Wind contributing more than £500,000.

The project aims to make recycling of composite parts the norm and ensure the wind industry is a driving force for a new circular economy.

Aker Offshore Wind has pledged its support to trade body WindEurope’s call for a Europe-wide landfill ban on decommissioned wind turbine blades by 2025.