Imagine old wind turbine blades as giant pieces of hard plastic and glass that are nearly impossible to throw away. This project creates a smart sorting system that decides whether to grind these blades into powder or heat them to recover clean fibers. These recycled materials are then turned into things like furniture or building panels instead of ending up in a landfill.
Wind turbine blades are reaching their 20-25 year end-of-life, creating a massive waste problem. Existing recycling solutions are either too expensive or not available at a scale that can handle the increasing volume of decommissioned parks.
A smart recycling system consisting of a tracking tool, decision-making software, and an up-scaled mechanical and thermal processing line.
If you are a building material manufacturer dealing with high raw material costs — this project developed a mechanical grinding process that turns waste blades into multifunctional panels for civil construction. This allows you to replace virgin materials with recycled composites.
If you are a car parts supplier dealing with sustainability mandates — this project developed a thermal recovery process that produces clean fibers with properties comparable to virgin fibers. These can be used to create lightweight automotive components.
If you are a home furniture producer dealing with the need for eco-friendly product lines — this project developed a remanufacturing line that converts wind-blade waste into durable panels for furniture. This provides a sustainable alternative to traditional wood or plastic boards.
Based on available project data, specific pricing is not provided, but the project uses LCA/LCC analysis to validate the economic sustainability of the process.
Yes, the project is deploying an up-scaled process starting from an existing remanufacturing line at GEES Recycling in Italy.
Based on available project data, there is no specific mention of licensing terms, though the project involves 7 industry partners and 5 SMEs.
The project runs from 2023-01-01 to 2026-12-31, with expected raw material savings occurring 5 to 8 years after the project ends.
It uses a dedicated tracking tool and embedded decision-making software that selects the process based on the blade's technical condition and current market demand.
The consortium is heavily industry-driven, with 64% of the 11 partners coming from the private sector, including 5 SMEs. This strong industrial presence, combined with 3 research entities across 5 European countries, suggests a high focus on commercial viability and practical deployment rather than pure academic research.
Contact RINA CONSULTING SPA in Italy for partnership opportunities regarding the remanufacturing line.
Contact us to connect with the REFRESH consortium for early access to recycled composite materials.
