CIRCUBLADE – circular approach to resource usage based on end-of-life wind turbine blades

CIRCUBLADE project investigated the potential to develop a circular solution for reusing large quantities of end-of-life (EoL) wind turbine blades (WTBs).

The research covered efficient logistics, design and manufacturing, the development of a digital tool to support the circular process, and overall resource efficiency. To ensure the environmental soundness of blade reuse, a life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted. Additionally, to gauge consumer interest, a survey was distributed to Swedish municipalities. As part of the project’s demonstration, a bridge was constructed using composite materials from recycled and reused WTBs, with the load-bearing structure made from an EoL blade. The survey indicated that Swedish municipalities are open to adopting products like the bridge, given they meet the same standards as conventional infrastructure. In the project the logistics of repurposing EoL WTB as analyzed. The results showed that the machinery and transportation of repurposed wind turbine blades play a significant role in the overall cost of repurposing projects.

To facilitate blade management, a digital platform was developed. The platform is designed to catalogue blades in Sweden and provide secure access to data needed for repurposing, such as structural details and repair history. Additional tools, including a cutting calculation tool and a routing tool, have also been integrated to streamline the repurposing process.

To support actors in improving the circularity of their designs the project produced two guidelines. A Circularity Design Guideline that provides an understanding of what to think of to design a more circular product. A Sustainability Guide that highlights the gains of using repurposed products form wind turbine blades.

CIRCUBLADE project was a two-year project that started 2022-09-01 and finished 2024-10-31. Here you can access the final report.

Financer: Vinnova (2022-01348)
Project partners: Anmet (Poland), AVA Integral Structures, Composite Design, ELU Konsult, Fosieplast, RISE, Sweco, Vattenfall. Chalmers Industriteknik was project coordinator.