European Project Demonstrates Circular Wind Turbine Blade
EuCIA, the European voice of composites, has reported about a “notable milestone by demonstrating how recycled glass fibers from end-of-life wind turbine blades can be used in new blades”.
REFRESH (Smart dismantling, sorting and REcycling of glass Fibre REinforced composite from wind power Sector through Holistic approach) is a European project with 11 partners. In a study, CETMA (Italy) and Gjenkraft AS (Norway) collaborated with Cormatex (Italy) and ÉireComposites (Ireland) to convert glass fibers recovered through Gjenkraft’s thermal recycling process into a nonwoven mat, which was then employed in a non-structural application of a section of a new blade.
According to the information, textile machinery manufacturer Cormatex’s airlay/thermobonding technology was used to manufacture the nonwoven mat. Unlike mechanical needle punching, where repeated needling causes the fibers to interlock and entangle, thermobonding relies on the adhesive effect of a thermoplastic binder. “This can be beneficial when working with thermally recycled fibers, which may become brittle after exposure to high temperatures.” Airlay/thermobonding – as a continuous process – would allow the production of mats with recycled fiber content of up to 90-95 percent by weight.
“CETMA evaluated the mat’s compatibility with the vacuum infusion process, which is widely used to manufacture composite parts for wind energy and other markets,” EuCIA gave account. “Tests revealed that composite laminates manufactured using the recycled glass fiber mat exhibited mechanical properties close to those of laminates manufactured using commercial virgin glass fiber mats with similar characteristics.”
Recycled fibers recovered using Gjenkraft’s thermal recycling process (Photo: Gjenkraft AS)
The recycled glass fiber mat has a range of potential applications, but returning it to the wind energy sector as an alternative to virgin materials is the optimal solution, EuCIA informed. Its suitability for use in a non-structural element of a blade was therefore evaluated in collaboration with ÉireComposites by means of a 13-meter (m) long blade. The composite skins of both halves of a wind turbine blade are currently manufactured using virgin triaxial glass fiber reinforcement, “which could potentially be replaced by the recycled glass fiber mat. To confirm this, ÉireComposites manufactured a section of the blade tip, approximately 1.0 m x 1.5 m in size, by vacuum infusion. The top and bottom shells were produced separately and bonded at the leading edge and trailing edge: one employed triaxial glass fiber in the inner and outer skins, while the other used the recycled glass fiber mat. This approach allowed a direct comparison of the virgin and recycled materials in the same part.”
According to EuCIA, this prototype blade section demonstrates the feasibility of incorporating recycled glass fiber into new blades without altering the manufacturing process. Further experimental validation is now in progress at CETMA to evaluate the mechanical performance of the part. The non-for-profit research and technology organization is also developing applications for the secondary raw materials resulting from the REFRESH mechanical recycling process with Gees Recycling, and exploring the use of recycled glass fiber in 3D printed concrete structures together with TECNALIA. “In addition, CETMA and ETAT9 are collaborating on the REFRESH repurposing strategy, designing new products from precisely cut blade parts. Life cycle assessment and life cycle costing analyses conducted by RINA Consulting will ensure the sustainability of all the REFRESH solutions, while a blockchain traceability platform will enable tracking of blade components and materials through the value chain.”
(Published in GLOBAL RECYCLING Magazine 1/2026, Page 36, Photo: CETMA / ÉireComposites)
