Feasibility Study: Mechanical Recycling of Wind Turbine Blades

Short description
Turbirec OÜ, in cooperation with Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), carried out a feasibility study on the mechanical recycling of decommissioned wind turbine blades. These large composite structures combine glass-fibre reinforced polymer, core materials, adhesives and metal reinforcements, making them difficult to recycle.

Objective
The project assessed whether decommissioned wind turbine blades can be broken down and separated into reusable fibre, polymer and metal fractions using mechanical crushing, grinding and separation, without heat or chemical treatment.

Result
The study confirmed that this approach is feasible in principle and established a basis for the next stage of applied development toward a complete industrial recycling solution.

Support
The project received EUR 5,704 in support through an Estonian Business and Innovation Agency (EIS) Innovation Voucher. The project was co-funded by the European Union.