Vattenfall has extended its recycling efforts to include nacelle canopies and nose cones from decommissioned wind turbines, enforcing an immediate ban on landfilling these materials. This move aligns with the company's commitment to increase the recycling of turbine components, aiming to recycle 50% of wind turbine blades from its owned farms by 2025, and 100% by 2030.
The new recycling target is already being incorporated into decommissioning contracts, with Vattenfall actively working to ensure all turbine composite materials are handled through circular processes such as reuse, refurbishment, repurposing, and recycling. “Expanding our recycling target is a crucial step towards achieving a circular business by 2030,” said Eva Julius-Philipp, director of environment & sustainability at Vattenfall BA Wind. She added, “This will prevent composite waste from ending up in landfills and instead make it available for second-life applications.”
Vattenfall is collaborating with various partners to explore innovative ways to repurpose turbine components. One notable project is a study with Lloyd's Arkitektkontor in Denmark, which is investigating the use of turbine blades in parking structures. Another project in the Netherlands involves converting a nacelle into a tiny house, set to be showcased at Dutch Design Week.
At the Hollandse Kust Zuid offshore wind farm, Vattenfall is testing recyclable blades from Siemens Gamesa, designed to simplify recycling with lower carbon emissions at the end of their life cycle.
Helle Herk-Hansen, vice president of environment at Vattenfall, highlighted the importance of research in developing large-scale solutions for recycling turbine materials. She emphasized the need for other sectors to adopt similar recycling initiatives, noting that wind industry composites account for only a small portion of total materials, but contribute significantly to landfill waste.
Earlier this month, Vattenfall also announced a commitment to achieve 100% circular outflow of permanent magnets from decommissioned wind farms by 2030, further underscoring the company's sustainability goals.
