Wind turbine blade farm

How are wind turbine blades made?

Instead of using cloth to catch the wind like Prof Blyth and the ancient Iranians, today's turbine blades are built from composite materials - older blades from glass fibre, newer ones from carbon fibre. Such composite materials might be light and strong, but they are also extremely hard to recycle.

What to do with wind turbine blades?

Wind turbines have proliferated across the island of Ireland in recent decades. Now, whole farms are being decommissioned and the question of what to do with the blades is a focus. Work continues among scientists around the world to find more sustainable material to use for constructing blades, or a way to recycle the existing material.

Can wind turbine blades be recycled?

Innovative solutions such as repurposing blades into playgrounds or bike sheds have been shown to be effective at a local level but, with some experts predicting up to 43 million tonnes of wind turbine blade waste by 2050, there is a pressing need for a system that will work on a bigger scale.

Where are Vestas wind turbines made?

Production by Vestas is currently underway for the Seagreen project at its blade factory and R&D centre on the Isle of Wight. The turbine manufacturer recently revealed its 1,000th offshore wind blade produced in the UK– an 80m V164 blade – which recently rolled out of the facility is destined for Seagreen.

Where are wind turbines being built in Scotland?

A number of turbines are being constructed at the Pines Burn wind farm, eight miles (13km) south of the town. Small roads in the Scottish Borders mean turbine blades have to be transported to a wind farm pointing upwards.

Should wind farms be disposed of tough turbine blades?

As more wind farms are decommissioned ways need to be found to dispose of their tough turbine blades.