EnergyLoop responds to the challenge of recycling wind turbine blades
November 21, 2024
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January 13, 2025
Iberdrola has awarded EnergyLoop, a company created by Iberdrola itself and FCC for the recycling of components of renewable facilities, the recycling of blades and the management of waste generated in the repowering (a term used to refer to the renovation of existing clean energy projects) of the first two wind farms in Spain located in the province of Albacete and called ‘Isabela’ and ‘Molar de Molinar’.
EnergyLoop was created with the aim of creating a pioneering industrial-scale blade recycling facility and leading the way in wind turbine blade recycling in Spain and Portugal.
In total, 139 wind turbines will be dismantled in this operation, representing 417 blades and more than 800 tonnes, and will be treated at the company’s recycling plant located in the municipality of Cortes in Navarra, which is already under construction and is expected to start operations in early 2025.
The aim of this project is to replace the current wind turbines with more powerful and efficient models. Specifically, thanks to this repowering, the unit power of the wind turbines, which were installed more than 20 years ago, will be multiplied by six and will reduce the number of these to 117 units.
Furthermore, these new models will increase energy production by an average of 30% and one of the biggest challenges during this process is the recycling of the waste generated during the renovation, especially the blades.
In this regard, Iberdrola aims to recycle half of the blades of wind turbines and solar panels dismantled in 2025 and aspires to recycle 100% of these elements by 2030, as part of its commitment to the efficient use of resources and within its Circular Economy Plan.
Source: lavanguardia.com
