OSLO, Norway, Nov. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 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."
CONTACT:
For further information, please contact:
Maria Lanza Knudsen, media
contact, +47 48 44 24 26, maria.knudsen@akeroffshorewind.com
Christian Yggeseth, investor contact, +47 915 10 000,
christian.yggeseth@akerhorizons.com
This information was brought to you by Cision
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