Thrive Renewables has teamed up with Scottish startup ReBlade to repurpose the 22-year-old blades from its Sigurd wind turbine on Orkney.
Built to withstand and operate in consistently high and turbulent winds, Thrive’s Sigurd blades have generated 88GWh of clean electricity during their lifetime and travelled just over eight million miles.
Now at end-of-life, the company is working with ReBlade to turn the blades into furniture for councils, communities, and businesses across the country, which could include bus shelters, benches and other items.
The turbine is located on Burgar Hill, which was used as a test bed for onshore wind in the 1980s and is still one of the windiest spots in the UK.
Adrian Warman, Head of Operations at Thrive Renewables, said: “As we work towards net zero, it’s important for us to take a circular approach with our projects wherever we can. Doing so not only helps to reduce carbon emissions, but supports the development of long term, sustainable supply chains.
“As one of our first clean energy projects, Sigurd has had a tremendous life so far and replacing the rotor will give the turbine a new lease of life, ensuring it can continue delivering clean electricity to power local homes and businesses.”
Steven Lindsay of ReBlade, who managed the blade decommissioning process, added: “Located in one of the best sites for wind generation in Europe, the Sigurd turbine blades demonstrate the strength and efficiency of onshore wind. This turbine is arguably one of the most productive in the UK and while the blades have been maintained exceptionally well, after 8 million miles of flight, it’s time for these blades to find a new purpose.”