Renewable Parts has secured UK Government support to develop end-of-use options for decommissioned wind turbines.
The Knowledge Transfer Partnership award is for a two-year project, in partnership with the University of Strathclyde, to investigate the end-of-use options for wind turbines across the UK.
The company aims to provide alternative solutions for wind turbines when they are ready for decommissioning.
The project will focus on creation of a circular economy model through a sustainable decommissioning process and application of value retention processes to components and materials.
As part of the project, a roadmap will be developed showcasing the key recommendations for major components within turbine nacelles, and will look at options for refurbishment, remanufacturing, and recycling to reduce the amount of scrap and waste sent to landfill.
The partnership with the University of Strathclyde will “allow knowledge and emerging advances in remanufacturing, metrology, and lifecycle analysis to be embedded in the project outcomes”.
Carol Sheath, engineering programme manager for Renewable Parts said: “Researching how we create an effective circular economy from assets being withdrawn from service is an important next step for our maturing industry, with wind energy reaching new milestones in its lifecycle, and asset owners evaluating new repowering solutions.”
The company is looking for a new team member to lead this project for the next two years as part of their mission to create a sustainable wind energy supply chain.