Zebra consortium produces first prototype of recyclable wind turbine blade

• 2 years ago (2022-03-21)
• David Flin

Europe 1088 Wind 256

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The ZEBRA (Zero waste Blade Research) consortium has announced that it has produced the first prototype of its 100 per cent recyclable wind turbine blade. The 62m blade was made using Arkema’s Elium resin, a thermoplastic resin with recyclable properties, and new high-performance glass fabrics from Owens Corning.

The ZEBRA project was launched in September 2020 as a partnership led by the French research centre IRT Jules Verne , and comprises several industrial companies including: Arkema , CANOE, Engie , LM Wind Power , Owens Corning , and SUEZ. Its purpose is to demonstrate the technical, economic, and environmental relevance of thermoplastic wind turbine blades on a full scale, with an eco-design approach to facilitate recycling.

Within the project, LM Wind Power has designed and built the world’s largest thermoplastic blade at its Ponferrada plant in Spain. LM Wind Power will now start full-scale structural lifetime testing at its Test and Validation Centre in Denmark, to verify the performance of the composite material used in making the blade and its feasibility for future sustainable blade production. Once these tests are finished, the End Of Life recycling methods will also be validated.

The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2023.