RWE’s Kaskasi offshore wind farm in Germany has started the delivery of green energy using Siemens Gamesa’s wind turbines equipped with RecyclableBlades.
“We’ve brought the Siemens Gamesa RecyclableBlade technology to market in only 10 months: from launch in September 2021 to installation at RWE’s Kaskasi project in July 2022. This milestone marks a significant contribution to Siemens Gamesa’s target of having fully recyclable turbines by 2040,” Marc Becker, CEO of the Siemens Gamesa Offshore Business Unit said.
Recyclable wind turbine blades are made up of a combination of materials embedded in resin to form a strong, stiff structure. Utilizing Siemens Gamesa’s RecyclableBlade technology enables reclaim of the blade’s components at the end of the product’s lifespan.
Separating the resin, fiberglass, and wood, among others, is achieved through using a mild acid solution. The materials can then go into the circular economy, creating new products like suitcases or flat-screen casings without the need to call on more raw resources.
“That we are testing in our offshore wind farm Kaskasi the world’s first recyclable wind turbine blades under operational conditions is a significant step in advancing the sustainability of wind turbines to the next level,” Sven Utermohlen, CEO Wind Offshore, RWE Renewables, said.
A number of turbines at RWE’s Kaskasi offshore wind farm will be equipped with handcrafted Siemens Gamesa B81 RecyclableBlades, each with a length of 81 meters. The project is located 35 km north of the island of Heligoland in the German North Sea. It will be comprised of 38 SG 8.0-167 DD wind turbines, generating 342 MW of clean, renewable energy for up to 400,000 German households. This is comparable to a city like Frankfurt am Main.
The RecyclableBlade technology was developed in Aalborg, Denmark, the blades were manufactured in Hull, UK, and the nacelles were produced in and installed from Cuxhaven, Germany. RecyclableBlade technology will help reduce raw material extraction by creating the potential for secondary markets for the reclaimed material.
Siemens Gamesa said the RecyclableBlade technology is also available for the 108-meter long B108 blades used on the SG 14-222 DD offshore wind turbine and the massive 115-meter long B115 blades SG 14-222 DD turbines.
RWE is one of the leading companies in the field of renewable energies and No. 2 worldwide in offshore wind. By 2030, RWE intends to grow its global offshore wind capacity from currently 3 gigawatts (GW) to 8 GW (capacity represents RWE’s share only).
Also in Germany, the company is stepping up the pace: In the German North Sea RWE is pushing ahead with the development of four offshore wind projects with a total capacity of 1.5 GW – partly together with its Canadian partner. By 2030, RWE will invest up to 15 billion euros gross in the green energy sector in Germany.