Wind turbine blades made of wood offer a sustainable option, the Hessian start-up (2021) Voodin Blade Technology is convinced and has installed the world's first prototype installation of its wind turbine blades made of 100% biodegradable wood, which are over 19 metres long, at an existing wind turbine in Breuna, north-west of Kassel.
After two years of thorough laboratory tests, the Voodin team is confident that the material can withstand even the toughest onshore conditions. They also see no reason why their rotor blades could not be used offshore. The company said that the use of laminated veneer lumber is more sustainable and durable than the commonly used glass fibre reinforced plastics (GRP), which become brittle after years and can usually only be recycled at great expense or not at all.
Installation of the wooden rotor blades in Breuna, image: Voodin Blade Techn. GmbH
The usual life cycle of wind turbine blades is currently 20 to 25 years and the GRP including the adhesive (epoxy resin) cannot be reused after the rotor blades have been dismantled: At the end of their life cycle, most blades are buried in the ground (!) or incinerated. This means that at this rate, we will produce around 50 million tonnes of non-recyclable plastic waste by 2050. This spurs us on, says a shareholder, and the company is now venturing into new recyclable prototypes of the 60- and 80-metre-long rotor blade sizes that are common today.
According to the company, production from wood is said to cause 87 per cent less CO2 emissions, while the sheets would last at least as long as conventional ones. There is no loss of efficiency, the product is completely recyclable and the adhesive used is just as non-toxic as the plant-based coating glaze, according to the company.
Unfortunately, the price has not yet been discussed and there has not yet been a test at sea. Nevertheless, we can only hope that the company will be able to convince wind turbine operators. Because it sounds fantastic:
A sustainable raw material for sustainable energy production!
kdk
Source: Offshore, HNA, Windkraft-Journal
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