Can wind turbines be recycled?


When wind turbines eventually reach the end of their lifespan, up to 95% of what they’re made of can be recycled. Ørsted has made a commitment to find the right recycling solutions for the final 5%, too.

Question:


Are landfill sites filling up with old wind turbines? If so, isn’t the problem only going to get worse?

Fact:


Up to 95% of a wind turbine can currently be recycled, and we’re working on the last 5%.


A small but significant challenge


The wind will keep blowing forever, but the turbines used to turn the wind into renewable energy do eventually wear out and need replacing. When we decommission a wind farm, we are currently able to recycle between 85 and 95% of the materials that make up the turbines – mostly steel.

The turbine blades, however, are more difficult to dispose of. They’re designed to be lightweight but highly durable, and are usually made or fiberglass or carbon fiber, held together with resin. This cannot be easily or efficiently broken down for recycling.

Nonetheless, with the one wind farm Ørsted has decommissioned so far, Vindeby in Denmark, 98% of the composite material was either recycled or used for research or exhibition, including all the turbine blades.

Ørsted's landfill ban


In June 2021, Ørsted announced that we would no longer send any blades to landfill, instead committing to reuse, recycle or otherwise recover all blades from newly decommissioned onshore and offshore wind farms.

Ørsted is following new recycling innovations closely and working with commercial and academic partners to develop new options. If it takes longer than anticipated to find recycling solutions that are both environmentally sustainable and commercially viable, Ørsted will store any decommissioned blades temporarily to save them from landfill.

Can wind turbines be recycled?

Solutions on the horizon


With many of the earliest wind farms around the world approaching decommissioning, blade recycling is a high priority for the wind industry. Technologies are already emerging for recycling existing types of blades – for example into fiber boards for flooring and walls. Meanwhile, blade manufacturers like Siemens Gamesa have recently begun deploying new materials in their blades, making them more easily recyclable in the first place.1

85-95% of a wind turbine can be recycled
Will Ocean Wind 1 turbines be recycled?
A modern wind farm like Ocean Wind 1 is designed to provide at least 25 years of reliable service at sea. When turbines reaches their end-of-life, Ørsted has established recycling processes for up to 95% of the materials. However, as blades are still a challenge, Ørsted has committed to not landfill these, and is working together with the rest the industry to find feasible solutions.
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What is the carbon footprint of offshore wind?
Emissions from building turbines are vastly outweighed by those saved through generating clean power.
Do wind farms impact property value?
Do wind farms impact property value?
Studies reveal that offshore wind has little to no influence on property prices.
Do offshore wind farms harm tourism?
Do offshore wind farms harm tourism?
Offshore wind has only recently arrived in the U.S. But from what is known so far, there is no reason to fear that it puts tourists off visiting the ocean.
Is offshore wind power reliable?
Is offshore wind power reliable?
Offshore wind is a highly reliable energy source. Wind turbines are able to generate clean energy out at sea, even when it seems calm from the shore.
Can offshore wind and commercial fishing coexist?
Can offshore wind and commercial fishing coexist?
Ørsted works closely with the fishing industry when planning, building and operating wind farms, ensuring peaceful coexistence.
Do wind turbines hurt birds?
Do wind turbines hurt birds?
Of all human activity, wind turbines pose only a tiny danger to bird life. Far greater is climate change, which threatens many species with extinction.
What is offshore wind power?
What is offshore wind power?

Offshore wind power explained

How we capture the power of the wind at sea to produce clean, reliable electricity