A new report from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) outlines recommendations that could increase the recycling and reuse of decommissioned wind energy equipment and materials to create a more circular economy and sustainable supply chain.

Among other findings, the research reveals that existing U.S. infrastructure could process 90% of the mass of decommissioned wind turbines. However, the remaining 10% will need new strategies and innovative recycling methods to achieve a more sustainable wind energy industry. This research will help guide over $20 million in investments previously announced from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to advance technologies that address this gap.

 “The U.S. already has the ability to recycle most wind turbine materials, so achieving a fully sustainable domestic wind energy industry is well within reach,” said Jeff Marootian, principal deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “Innovation is key to closing the loop, and this research will help guide national investments and strategies aimed at advancing technologies that can solve the remaining challenges and provide more affordable, equitable, and accessible clean energy options to the American people.”

A team of researchers, led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory with support from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories, developed the report. The first of a suite of reports, this part provides DOE’s Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) with short-, medium-, and long-term RD&D priorities along the life cycle of wind energy systems. 

The effective reuse and recycling of wind system components, parts, and materials will rely on a combination of measures, including: 

• Improved end-of-life decommissioning collection and scrap sorting practices. 
• Strategic siting of recycling facilities. 
• Expanded and improved recovery and recycling infrastructure. 
• Substitution of hard-to-recycle and critical materials with more easily separable and affordable materials, improved component designs and manufacturing techniques, or the development of modular system components. 
• Optimized properties of recovered materials for second-life applications. 
• Greater access to wind energy waste streams and the equipment required to disassemble wind energy components. 

Towers, foundations, and steel-based subcomponents in drivetrains offer the greatest potential currently to be successfully recycled, whereas blades, generators, and nacelle covers are likely to prove more difficult. Recovering critical materials and alloying elements from generators and power electronics, such as nickel, cobalt, and zinc, will be crucial in establishing a circular economy for wind systems. 

Short-term strategies for decommissioning include promoting blade production using more easily recyclable thermoplastic resins and reusing these resins in cement production. Thermoplastic-based blade recycling technologies, such as pyrolysis and chemical dissolution, could be viable medium- and long-term options. Other medium- and long-term solutions include high-yield techniques for separating compounds found in power electronics and hybrid methods for recycling permanent magnets. 

Regional factors—such as material demand, disposal fees, transportation distances, and an available skilled workforce—will play vital roles in ensuring the success and cost-competitiveness of recycling wind energy components. 

Research used to compile this report will be used to guide the development of the Wind Energy Recycling Research, Development, and Demonstration program funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 

DOE recently announced an investment of $20 million to improve the recycling of wind energy technologies. This effort, which focuses on enabling sustainable wind turbine components, enabling wind turbine material recycling and reuse processes, and qualifying recycled and recyclable material, will help increase the sustainability of wind energy materials and bolster the domestic supply chain.