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18.11.2021 08:00:17: Consortium led by Aker Offshore Wind secures blade recycling pilot project funding



A UK Government grant has been secured for an innovative pilot to develop the
UK's first wind blade turbine recycling plant.

The £2million three-year project involves a consortium led by Aker Offshore Wind
and Scottish researchers, with the aim of ensuring a more sustainable future for
the global wind industry and the wider composites manufacturing industry -
accelerating the drive towards net zero emissions and waste and creating new
skills and job opportunities in the UK.

The pilot will now get underway to develop a commercially viable solution,
overseen by industry lead Aker Offshore Wind, trade body Composites UK, and
researchers at the University of Strathclyde's Advanced Composites Group and
Lightweight Manufacturing Centre, which is a part of the National Manufacturing
Institute Scotland Group.

Other academic and industry partners include Nottingham University, global waste
management firm SUEZ, composite distributor GRP Solutions and composite part
manufacturer Cubis.

The project is set up to commercialise a revolutionary method developed by the
University of Strathclyde to separate the glass-fibre and resin components in
composites and recover the glass-fibre component which can then be reprocessed,
moulded, and reused in other industries, such as the motor trade and the
construction industry.

Innovate UK, the UK Government's innovation agency, has awarded £1.3 million to
the project, with Aker Offshore Wind contributing more than £500,000 to make the
project a reality.

At present, when giant turbine blades reach the end of their working lives,
there are only two options for managing the waste: send them to a landfill or to
waste-to-energy plants where they are combusted at significant energy cost.

The environmental benefits from this project cannot be understated as waste from
wind turbine blades alone are expected to reach around 2 million tonnes globally
by 2050, and UK volumes of composite waste already exceed 100,000 tonnes per
year.

Aker Offshore Wind has pledged its support to trade body WindEurope's call for a
Europe-wide landfill ban on decommissioned wind turbine blades by 2025 and
considers this project a crucial step towards setting a new standard for the
industry.

With thousands of turbines being erected and built as part of the transition
away from fossil fuels, the project partners applied to the UK Government for
support to position the UK as the global leader in blade recycling and provide a
futureproofed solution for turning waste into new resources.

The pilot project will now put this into action, with the aim to make recycling
of composite parts the norm and ensure the wind industry is a driving force for
a new circular economy.

UK Government Minister for Scotland Malcolm Offord said:

"Offshore wind is playing an important role in our plans to reach net zero,
particularly in Scotland. It's great news that this funding will support the
development of wind turbine blade recycling, helping prevent blades ending up in
landfill and furthering our green ambitions.

"In line with the goals agreed at COP26, the UK Government is investing in
research and innovation projects right across the UK to help create a greener
future."

Sian Lloyd-Rees, Managing Director of Aker Offshore Wind UK, said:

"This project will be an important piece in our drive to accelerate the move to
net zero waste and emissions and demonstrates Aker Offshore Wind's commitment to
sustainability across the lifecycle of a wind project ; all while investing in
Scotland and the UK to build a more sustainable future for decades to come.

"At COP26 we heard the urgent call for action and this planned innovation will
answer that call to secure tangible solutions for circular business models. The
Innovate UK grant will make blade recycling a firm reality, building on the
expertise of the researchers at Strathclyde University and our decades of
experience at Aker Offshore Wind to create a commercially-viable green
solution."

Malcolm Forsyth, Sustainability Manager at Composites UK and overall project
leader, said:

"This project is a vital step towards establishing a commercial recycling route
for composite materials in the UK and beyond, covering both wind turbine blades
and several other applications in the construction and transport sectors.

"Composite materials combining glass-fibre and polymer resin systems, have a
huge role to play in enabling the UK economy to transition to net zero and we
need effective recycling at end of life to ensure that composite materials
achieve high levels of circularity in future.

"Composites UK and all the project partners are very excited that this break
-through technology scale-up project has now been funded by the UK government
and will make the recycling of glass-fibre composites a commercial reality in
the UK in the years to come."

Professor Sir Jim McDonald, Principal at the University of Strathclyde, said:

Strathclyde Principal Professor Sir Jim McDonald said: "Wind Energy is a key
component of the transition to net zero and it is essential that the technology
and materials that provide renewable energy are as sustainable as they can be.

"As we have seen at COP26 in Glasgow, a global move to renewable, sustainable
sources of energy will help to make some of the biggest advances in the quest to
tackle climate change. At Strathclyde, we have developed novel processes for
recycling and reusing wind turbine blades, which will help to reduce waste in
the renewables sector and wider industry.

"This project, and our partnership with Aker Offshore Wind, are examples of the
research and industrial engagement which has placed Strathclyde at the forefront
of innovation in renewable energy and composites sustainability."