New Wind Turbine Blades Could be Recycled Instead of Landfilled

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): Researchers have developed a wind turbine blade that costs less and appears to be recyclable, two attributes that could accelerate the rapid growth of both onshore and offshore wind around the world. The innovation may also reduce rising transportation costs because blades for taller turbines can now be as long as 262 feet, almost the length of a football field.

It may take years of further testing to make certain the recyclable blades can endure the outdoor elements for 30 years, which is the standard goal for the wind power industry, according to researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Cutting the cost of future blades will be a “big step” in accelerating growth of wind power, said Daniel Laird, the director of NREL’s wind technology center, which has spent four years working on the new blade.

He noted that over the last three decades, research has helped drive down the costs of electricity made from wind turbines by 90%. But he added that wind power must still compete with coal, natural gas and nuclear power to keep its niche growing in the energy business. “I think that a lot of progress is going to be made on the recyclability of blades in the next year or two,” Laird said.

Courtesy: www.wasteadvantage.com