According to the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), Germany is not sufficiently prepared for the recycling of discarded wind turbines. "There are bottlenecks in terms of recycling capacity and risks for people and the environment in the case of improper dismantling," states a statement from the office. That resulted in an extensive research project.
The reason for the impending flood of disused wind turbines: For facilities built from the year 2000, subsidies under the Renewable Energy Sources Act, which have a term of 20 years, will soon be eliminated.
Rotor blades are the problem
According to the German Wind Energy Association, it is technically possible for many older plants to continue their operation. But whether that still reckons for the operators, is questionable. Many old plants are therefore likely to be replaced by new and more efficient ones.
The UBA expects from 2021 with an increased dismantling. The resulting millions of tonnes of concrete, steel and aluminum could be recycled through existing recycling structures. The problem is the rotor blades. They are made of fiber-reinforced plastics. So far, there is only one system in Germany, which can use this.
In addition, additional costs threaten. Although operators of wind turbines must withhold money for dismantling. But according to the UBA their sum is not enough to cover the actual costs. For the year 2038, a funding gap of over 300 million euros is forecast. The Authority therefore recommends that the calculation basis for the reserves be checked regularly by an independent expert.
"Federal and state governments should quickly develop guidelines for the dismantling of wind turbines," said UBA President Maria Krautzberger. According to the Office, there are more than 27,000 wind turbines in Germany, excluding wind turbines off the coast.
If wind turbines have served their day, there are two options: Either you sell them abroad if they are still working, or you recycle them. In Germany, several companies have already specialized in recycling.
The Bremen company Neocomp shreds discarded rotor blades in a special plant and then mixes the material with residues from paper production. The product is sold to cement plants. (Read more about this here.)
Even old solar systems become a scrap problem
At the Technical University of Cottbus-Senftenberg, researchers are also working on a mixture of shredded rotor blades from discarded wind turbines and fly ash, which is produced during power generation in lignite-fired power plants. The mixture is suitable as a concrete material, the researchers said. The recycled rotor blade components are intended to stabilize the concrete in the event of cracks.
Not only the recycling of wind turbines could be a problem for Germany. In the coming years, many solar cells have become obsolete. The International Renewable Energy Agency, Irena, estimates that nearly 100,000 tonnes of solar scrap will be generated in Germany by 2025. That's equivalent to nearly five million today's standard modules. By 2030, the amount of waste is expected to grow to around 400,000 tonnes. Several companies are already working on concepts on how to recover the precious raw materials.
