Circular economy for the transformation of the wind energy sector

The Spanish wind industry – as a world leader with more than 28 GW of installed capacity – will soon be faced with the need to recycle or reuse significant quantities of wind turbines. It is estimated that around 5,700 wind turbines per year will be decommissioned in Europe by 2030, from the repowering of wind farms or installations reaching the end of their useful life.

In this context, EnergyLOOP contributes to the transformation of the wind energy sector into a true circular economy by investing in integrated recycling solutions. This initiative will also improve their competitiveness and sustainability through the research and implementation of new recycling technologies, which will enable them to absorb the increasing amounts of waste and adopt increasingly efficient solutions.

This project will be the first on an industrial scale in Europe and will place Spain at the technological forefront of this industry. It will also contribute to the creation of an innovative and dynamic value chain. For this purpose, EnergyLOOP expects to create around 100 direct and indirect jobs over the decade and plans to invest around 10 million euros in the first installation.

The initiative will operate at the different stages that enable the circularity of wind turbine blades, including on-site pre-treatment and conditioning, waste transport logistics, recycling technologies and the marketing of recycled products.

All of this is based on environmental sustainability with an inter-company alliance for the circular economy and a clear position against climate change.