100% recyclable thermoplastic resin wind turbine blade is born

        The Zero Waste Blade Research (ZEBRA) consortium has produced the first sample of its 100% recyclable wind turbine blade. LM Wind Power, a subsidiary of GE Renewable Energy, designed and manufactured the thermoplastic resin wind turbine blade at its Ponferrada, Spain plant.

        The team conducted nearly a year of material development and testing, supported by sub-component level process trials with consortium partners. LM Wind Power said the sample is 62 meters long and is made of Elium resin from specialty chemicals company Arkema. This is a thermoplastic resin known for its recyclable properties. The blades also use new high-performance glass fibers from Owens Corning.

        The ZEBRA zero-waste blade research project was officially launched in September 2020 and is led by the French International Research Center Jules Verne (IRT Jules Verne), which brings together several industrial companies including Arkema, CANOE, Engie, LM Wind Power, Owens Corning and SUEZ. The project budget exceeds 18.5 million euros. Its purpose is to fully demonstrate the technical, economic and environmental characteristics of thermoplastic resin wind turbine blades and promote the recycling of blades using an eco-design approach. This liquid thermoplastic resin is said to be very suitable for the manufacture of large wind turbine components through infusion processes combined with Owens Corning high-performance glass fibers. LM Wind Power said that the composite material has similar properties to thermoset composites, but has a key unique advantage: recyclability.

        Elium-based composite parts can be recycled using an advanced method of chemical recycling that allows the complete depolymerization of the resin and the separation of the glass fibers from the resin, allowing for a circular recycling process. This method, developed in collaboration between Arkema and CANOE, was tested on all composite parts, including waste generated during production. Owens Corning was also responsible for finding solutions for glass fiber recycling through remelting and reuse. In addition to material testing and process trials, the companies also made progress in the development and optimization of manufacturing processes through the use of automation technologies, thereby reducing energy consumption and waste during production.

        The next step for LM Wind Power will be to start comprehensive structural life testing at its Test and Validation Center in Denmark to verify the performance of the composite materials used to manufacture the blades and their viability in future blade production. After these tests, the validation of the recycling method after the blades are scrapped will be carried out.

        The next steps are the recycling of waste materials during the production process, and the disassembly, recycling and analysis of the test results of the first blade. By the end of the project in 2023, the consortium will have brought the wind power industry into the big cycle of the circular economy in a sustainable way based on eco-design principles.

        The ZEBRA project is progressing as planned. The project has all the expertise required to deploy sustainable thermoplastic wind turbine blades. The manufacturing of the first sample is a great success for the entire consortium and the entire wind power industry.

        It is understood that thermoplastic resin blades are also being developed internally by blade companies in China. At present, some samples and process verifications have been done, including exploration of the supporting fibers, structural adhesives and auxiliary materials required for the application of thermoplastic resins. It is expected that a blade will be made for test verification in the future.