Recycling Wind Turbines Can Make Wind Power Really Green

Posted: 10 October 2007
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Danish researchers say that in order to assess the overall environmental impact of wind power, the finite lifespan of wind turbines and the need to replace and recycle them must be taken into account.

Writing recently in the Inderscience publication, International Journal of Technology, Policy and Management, the researchers describe a prospective case study for managing environmental aspects of wind turbines.

Wind turbines are one of the most environmentally sound technologies for producing electricity, say the researchers. However, the removal and recycling phase of wind turbines has been identified as a blind spot in assessing their overall environmental impact. Most studies have ignored this phase and focused entirely on their operation and in some cases the production and installation of wind turbines.

Foresight and innovation analysts Per Dannemand Andersen and Mads Borup working with wind energy expert Thomas Krogh have devised a method for mapping and mitigating the negative environmental impacts of wind turbines, which considers the future removal, and recycling of offshore wind turbines up to the year 2050.

"Because the wind-turbine industry is relatively young, there is only a limited amount of practical experience on the removal and recycling of wind turbines," Dannemand Andersen says, "It is likely to take more than 20 years before a substantial amount of practical experience regarding the dismantling, separation, recycling, disposal, etc., of wind-power systems is gained."