t
he speed by which wind farms are being constructed across the U.S. is going faster than a spring wind in Casper. In about 20 years, the wind turbines put into operation today will be nearing the end of their lifespan. The ones built 20 years ago are nearing it now.
Since the blades are very difficult to recycle, the waste stream created by the retired blades is a mounting problem.
According to a 2017 study published in the scientific journal Waste Management, the world’s wind industry will be producing 43 million tons of blade waste annually by 2050.
That’s the equivalent weight of 215,000 locomotives. The U.S. and Europe will account for 41% of that.
The size and weight of the blades vary, but the average length is around 120 feet and they weigh around five tons. Some of the largest can be as long as a football field and weigh 20 tons.
Currently, there are no scalable, cost-effective technologies to recycle the blades, and most of them are going to landfills.
Wind turbine manufacturers are looking at ways to make the blades more recyclable, and some recyclers are looking at ways to reuse the blades in hopes of keeping them out of landfills.
