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Can wind turbines be recycled?

When wind turbines eventually reach the end of their lifespan after at least 25 years, we recycle up to 95% of what they’re made of.

We’ve made a commitment to find the right recycling solutions for the final 5%, too. 

Question:

 

Are landfill sites filling up with old wind turbines? If so, isn’t the problem only going to get worse?

Fact:

 

Up to 95% of a wind turbine can currently be recycled. We’re working hard to find the right recycling solutions for the last 5%.

A small but significant challenge 


The wind will keep blowing forever, but the turbines used to turn the wind into renewable energy do eventually wear out and need replacing. When we decommission a wind farm, we are currently able to recycle between 85 and 95% of the materials that make up the turbines – which are mostly made up of steel.  

The turbine blades, however, are more difficult to dispose of. They’re designed to be lightweight but highly durable and are usually made or fibreglass or carbon fibre, held together with resin. This cannot be easily or efficiently broken down for recycling.  

Nonetheless, with the one wind farm Ørsted has decommissioned so far, Vindeby in Denmark, 98% of the composite material was either recycled or used for research or exhibition, including all the turbine blades. 

Recycling onshore win turbines

Ørsted’s landfill ban 


In June 2021, we committed to reuse, recycle, or otherwise recover all blades from newly decommissioned onshore and offshore wind farms.  

We’re following new recycling innovations closely and working with commercial and academic partners to develop our own approach. If it takes longer than anticipated to find recycling solutions that are both environmentally sustainable and commercially viable, we will store any decommissioned blades temporarily instead of sending them to be landfilled. 


Solutions on the horizon 


With many of the earliest wind farms around the world approaching decommissioning, blade recycling is a high priority for the wind industry. Technologies are already emerging for recycling existing types of blades – for example turning them into fibre boards for flooring and walls.  

Meanwhile, blade manufacturers like Siemens Gamesa have recently begun deploying new materials in their blades, making them more easily recyclable in the first place.   
Share of onshore wind turbines which can be recycled
Is onshore wind power reliable?
Onshore wind is a highly reliable energy source. Modern onshore wind turbines are so powerful and have such advanced engineering that they can generate clean energy, even when wind speeds seem low. 
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Do onshore wind turbines pose a threat to birds?
Well-sited wind farms have limited effects on birds. Onshore wind farms can pose potential risks to birds, but Ørsted does in-depth environmental assessments before building any new wind farms and uses cutting-edge technology to better understand the interaction between birds and turbines so that wind farms can be optimally sited. 
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What is the carbon footprint of onshore wind?
Manufacturing and constructing onshore wind turbines does produce some emissions. But these are very small in comparison to emissions from fossil fuels – and vastly outweighed by the emissions saved by using onshore wind power instead of fossil fuels.  
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Are onshore wind turbines noisy? 
Nearly everything with moving parts makes noise, and wind turbines are no exception. Wind farms are very quiet compared to other industrial facilities, but they do produce low-level noise.  
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Are onshore wind turbines dangerous to human health?
Onshore wind turbines do not cause negative health effects. Dozens of independent, peer-reviewed studies conducted around the world have consistently found no evidence that onshore wind farms cause any negative physical health effects.  
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Do onshore wind farms harm tourism?  
Onshore wind has become a major source of renewable energy across Europe over the last several decades. There is no evidence that the many onshore wind turbines now dotting rural landscapes put off tourists. On the contrary, many visitors express a positive feeling towards seeing the green transition in action. 
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What is offshore wind power?

What is onshore wind power? 

Onshore wind power explained

Find out how it works