LM Wind Power and its partners in the Zero wastE Blade ReseArch (Zebra) consortium have produced the first prototype of a 100% recyclable wind turbine blade.聽The 62-meter blade was made using Arkema鈥檚 Elium resin, which is a thermoplastic resin known for its recyclable properties, together with glass fabrics from Owens Corning.聽Launched in September 2020, the Zebra project is led by French research centre IRT Jules Verne and brings together industrial companies including Arkema, Canoe, Engie, GE鈥檚 LM Wind Power, Owens Corning and Suez.聽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.
LM Wind Power has designed and built the world鈥檚 largest thermoplastic blade at its Ponferrada plant in Spain.聽The milestone is achieved after a year of material development and testing backed by sub-component level process trials by the consortium partners.聽The liquid thermoplastic resin has been adapted for the manufacturing of large parts by resin infusion, combined with Owens Corning high performance fabrics.聽The resulting composite material is delivering similar performances to thermoset resins but is also recyclable.
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.聽By the end of the project in 2023, the consortium will have 鈥渕et the challenge of bringing the wind energy sector into the circular economy loop in a sustainable manner, according to the principles of eco-design鈥�.聽John Korsgaard, senior director, engineering excellence, at LM Wind Power, said: 鈥淲ith this project we are addressing two crucial industry challenges. On one hand, we are progressing on our Zero Waste Blades vision by preventing and recycling manufacturing waste.