‘World first’: New UK offshore wind farm to feature recyclable blades
Energy giant RWE confirms flagship Sofia offshore wind farm will see 44 turbines fitted with innovative new recyclable blades
RWE has announced it has inked a deal with wind turbine manufacturer Siemens Gamesa to install its new recyclable blades as part of its flagship Sofia offshore wind farm off the north east coast of England.
The agreement will see Siemens Gamesa provide the blades for 44 of the 100 turbines that are being installed as part of the 1.4GW project, which is due to come online in 2026.
The deal marks another major milestone for recyclable blade technologies, after Siemens Gamesa last year debuted the “world’s first” recyclable blade for the onshore wind market, before then installing the technology offshore for the first time at RWE’s Kaskasi wind farm off the German island Heligoland.
The lightweight composite materials used in wind turbine blades have previously been challenging to recycle and as a result blades have typically been consigned to landfill, creating a huge waste footprint for aging wind farms.
However, Siemens Gamesa has developed a new resin type for us in its blades, which boasts a chemical structure that allows for composite materials to be separated so that they can then be re-cast for new applications. The company said the materials could then be reused by the automotive industry, or in consumer goods like suitcases and flatscreen casings.
The deal will also see half Sofia’s turbine blades produced in the UK at Siemens Gamesa’s Hull factory – a move RWE said would support local supply chain ambitions and provide a further boost to the Humber region.
Sven Utermöhlen, CEO at RWE Offshore Wind, said the deal represented a world first for the industry. “Sofia is our largest offshore wind farm to date and this world first is a significant step in taking the long-term sustainability of offshore wind farms to the next level,” he said. “RWE believe this is the right direction for the future of our sector, which has sustainability at its core.”
His comments were echoed by Clark MacFarlane, UK managing director at Siemens Gamesa, who similarly welcomed the deal. “When we began working with RWE on installing our recyclable blades for their Kaskasi project, we knew that we had taken the first major steps on delivering a major change to the renewable wind sector,” he said. “Having the opportunity to produce even more for Sofia is fantastic and fully demonstrates our and RWE’s focus on developing and delivering even greater levels of sustainability for renewable generation globally.”
