How Long do Wind Turbine Blades Last? The Growing Problem of Wind Turbine Waste

Have you ever wondered what happens to old wind turbines components? I bet not. We are so accustomed to hearing about the benefits of wind power that all too often the problem of wind turbine waste is overlooked.

But it turns out – it is a problem, and one that will only get worse, unless we can start cooking up some solutions now. Luckily there have been recent advances in wind turbine waste management, and with any luck, we’ll be able to go back to singing the praises of wind energy.

Wind energy is considered one of the most promising renewable energy sources. Photo by: Oimheidi (Pixabay)

Wind Energy’s Waste Problem: A Promising Solution Turned Sour

Renewable energy has been a hot commodity in recent years. Nations seeking to decrease their environmental footprint and the consequences of long-term reliance on oil, gas, coal and other fossil fuels are looking for alternatives, like wind energy. However, concerns have been recently raised over the sustainability of carbon fiber wind turbine blades and whether or not they are as eco-friendly as they appear to be.

This issue surfaced in early 2020 when a photo of a landfill in Casper, Wyoming went viral. The photo showed large wind turbine blades buried in landfill. Turbine blades were cut into pieces, stacked and then buried under the sand. The photo raised harsh criticism and opened a discussion around the lifespan of wind turbines and what happens when they are decommissioned.

Wind turbine blades buried in landfill in Casper, Wyoming. This social media post from February 2020 sparked outrage online over the true environmental cost of wind energy. Source: Facebook.

How Long do Wind Turbine Blades Last?

Wind turbine blades last about 20-25 years. The first wind turbines were installed in the 1990s and they are just now reaching the end of their lifespan. In the US alone, it is estimated that as many as 8000 wasted wind turbine blades will be replaced every year for the next four years.

And it will only get worse: today’s wasted wind turbine blades were built at a time when installations were just a fraction of what they are now. Meaning that, as time goes on, wind turbine waste will become an increasingly gargantuan problem.

Europe is somewhat ahead of the game, as they’ve been dealing with wind energy waste for much longer. The continent’s limited land area coupled with the EU’s waste management rules mean that more wind turbine blades have been repurposed, recycled or had parts sold to Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. Nevertheless, it is still expected that some 3800 wasted wind turbine blades in Europe will come down every year through 2022.

It's easy to forget just how massive wind turbine blades are. Photo by: Markus Distelrath (Pixabay)

Wind Turbine Blade Waste: Why Aren’t Wind Turbine Blades Recyclable?

As a whole, wind turbines are 85-90% recyclable; it’s the wind turbine blades that are the problem. Unlike the rest of the wind turbines components, wind turbine blades are made of resin and fiberglass, which are difficult materials to reuse or recycle.

Another challenge is their size. How long are wind turbine blades? Very long! Wind turbine blades can reach up to 300 ft (91m) long – that’s longer than the wing of a Boeing 747!

Given how long are the blades on a wind turbine, they can’t easily be picked up and hauled away. First, specialized equipment must be used to cut them up into three pieces. Then, they are strapped onto a tractor-trailer – one blade per truck. That’s just how long a wind turbine blade is!

The next step is what has some people up in arms. Do they bury wind turbine blades? Unfortunately, the answer is yes.

Keep Reading:

• Are Paper Towels Bad for the Environment?

Wind energy has only increased over time, making the problem of wind turbine waste a growing one. Photo by: Ed White (Pixabay)

Are They Burying Wind Turbine Blades?

In the US there are at least three wind turbine landfills where blades are buried: the infamous one in Casper, Wyoming, as well as ones in Lake Mills, Iowa and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. After being cut up into pieces, the wind turbine blades are transported to these huge landfills where they are buried under tonnes of sand, to lay there forever.

This does not sound very environmentally-friendly!

Transporting wind turbine blades is a massive challenge given their size. Photo by: Bishnu Sarangi (Pixabay)

Wind Turbine Blades Buried in Landfill: A Problem or a Boon for Small Municipalities?

As is evident, the inability to easily recycle wind turbine blades poses a great challenge in a field where renewable energy was meant to decrease environmental impact.

Small municipalities may face even more issues when trying to deal with wind turbine waste. Adding to the already high cost of disassembling and cutting the blades in order to transport them to landfills, Rob Van Vleet, an expert from the Kimball Wind Project in Nebraska, highlights the fact that cities may need to acquire more landfill space to be able to accommodate both the blades and municipal trash. This means increased expenses for local governance.

However, in the case of Casper, the waste division manager claims that taking in the blades is actually profitable. The city is paid $675,000 to store wind turbine blades indefinitely, income which can be used for infrastructure and other services. And wind turbine blades buried in landfill are relatively harmless compared to discarded oil equipment.

How does burying wind turbine blades in municipal landfills affect locals? The American Wind Energy Association claims that dumping old blades in landfills is in fact a safe, cheap alternative, one that has significantly less impact on people’s lives than municipal waste in landfills.

But surely landfills aren’t the best long-term solution. For one thing, landfills have limited space and cannot be expanded indefinitely.

It's the wind turbine blades that cause the bulk of the problem. Their resistant design - using resin and fiberglass - makes them very hard to recycle or reuse. Photo by: JacLou DL (Pixabay)

Wind Turbine Waste Management: New Horizons

Turbine blades are built to withstand gale-force winds, which is why they are so hard to repurpose or recycle. But that hasn’t stopped wind energy companies from trying.

Two companies attempting this impossible mission are Veolia and Global Fiberglass Solutions. Veolia, a French company that specializes in waste management and energy services, has experimented with grinding the blades into dust, and then extracting chemicals produced in the process. They are still developing their ideas, but so far, there is considerable interest.

Meanwhile over in Texas, Global Fiberglass Solutions has achieved more tangible results. Their idea is to break the turbine blades down into chocolate-chip-like pellets and fibre boards that can then be used for walls and flooring. CEO Don Lilly says that they can process 99.9% of a blade, and that each of their recycling plants could handle up to 6000-7000 blades per year. And they’re just gearing up, ready to take on more as demand for their product increases in the construction industry.

New horizons for wind turbines: hopefully innovation in how wind turbines are made and what happens to them at the end of their lifecycle will mean a new, zero-waste future for wind energy. Photo by: Free-Photos (Pixabay)

Wind Turbine Waste: Green Energy / Un-Green Waste

The search for ways to reuse or recycle wind turbine blades is just the start. The apparently unforeseen wind turbine waste issue has sparked a broader discussion of the true “greenness” of the renewable energy sector as a whole. While the energy produced may be carbon-free, and the non-recyclable waste “cleaner” than that coming from the oil sector, we need to have a real conversation about the environmental impact of all areas of renewable energy.

Many are hoping that more effort and money will be invested now, at the beginning of a wind turbine blade’s lifecycle, to plan ahead for its eventual demise. In fact, some manufacturers are committing to be responsible for the wind turbines they produce, even once they are past their use-by date.

As wind turbine blades buried in landfill continue to pile up, let this be a wake-up call for us to take urgent action to reach the true goal of waste-free green energy.

About the Author

Alexandra is a PhD candidate and a researcher focusing in Middle-Eastern security, regional balance and tribal affairs. She is working in the non-profit sector in the fields of education and employment of young graduates in Greece and has significant volunteer experience, focused mainly on education around disabilities. She holds great interest in Indigenous history and tribal affairs, not only in the Americas but in Europe, Africa and Asia as well.