Project launched for recycling wind turbine blades

March 27, 2025 – To achieve climate neutrality by 2050, our energy must be both generated by renewable sources and seamlessly integrated into a circular economy. TNO, in collaboration with several partners, is working on the three-year CIRCLE4WIN project to develop a commercially viable method for recycling composite wind turbine blades. In addition to the recycling process itself, the project also focuses on optimising the logistics process for large-scale application.
While 90% of the wind turbine is already recycled, the plastic composite turbine blades still pose a challenge. The CIRCLE4WIN project involves thermally decomposing to work on a circular wind turbine blade.
This process separated the glass fibres by heating in an oxygen-free furnace (pyrolysis), followed by a combustion step with oxygen where the resin serves as fuel for the process. The reclaimed glass must be made suitable as a raw material for newly manufactured glass fibre, to be used in commercial recyclable plastic products and wind turbine blades.
WindEurope, the European wind industry association, expects 60,000 tonnes of discarded blades in Europe this year(opens in a new window or tab) (refers to a different website), which will rapidly increase to 800,000 tonnes by 2050.
The consortium is part of the GROW programme and consists of parties covering the entire value chain and development: Afvalstoffen Terminal Moerdijk, Sibelco Group, Envalior, IX Renewables, Suzlon Group, D&E Holding, and TNO, with support from the TKI MOOI subsidy programme.

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