Retired Wind Turbine Blades To Be Used For Road Construction

A Chinese research team has developed an innovative technology to repurpose aging wind turbine blades, offering a sustainable solution to the growing challenge of decommissioned turbines. After five years of research, the team, led by Tang Zhicheng from the Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has introduced a method that not only addresses disposal concerns but also transforms retired blades into valuable resources, supporting the renewable energy sector’s sustainability.

Growing Challenge of Decommissioned Wind Turbines

China’s wind power industry has seen rapid expansion in recent years, significantly contributing to global energy supply and climate change mitigation. However, as wind turbines typically have a lifespan of 20 to 25 years, a large number of them are now nearing retirement. Industry projections indicate that by 2025, China will face a surge in decommissioned wind turbines, raising pressing concerns about their disposal.

The Recycling Challenge

While certain components like turbine towers, hubs, and gearboxes can be recycled as scrap metal, wind turbine blades pose a unique challenge. Made from composite materials such as glass fiber, carbon fiber, and epoxy resin, these blades are designed to be lightweight, strong, and highly resistant to environmental stressors. However, these same properties make them difficult and costly to recycle, and there is currently no globally scalable and efficient method for doing so.

Innovative Recycling Approach

The research team has addressed this issue by leveraging the unique properties of retired blades—lightweight, high strength, and corrosion resistance. Using a combination of physical crushing and chemical treatment, they have successfully modified the blade material for use in asphalt mixtures and cement concrete.

In collaboration with a local road construction company, the team applied these modified asphalt mixtures to a section of the Qingfu Highway in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, in September 2024.

Promising Results and Future Applications

Wang Zhaoli, deputy general manager of the road construction company, reported that after more than five months of operation, the modified asphalt pavement has performed well. The road surface has shown no signs of cracks, rutting, or material detachment, indicating the viability of this recycling approach.

According to the research team, the technology is set for further demonstration projects this year, with continued collaboration between research institutions and industry partners. Tang Zhicheng emphasized that as recycling technologies advance, decommissioned wind turbine blades could be repurposed into valuable “urban mineral resources,” offering a scalable and reliable solution for the renewable energy sector.