I regleringsbrevet för 2023 fick Energimyndigheten i uppdrag av regeringen att utreda hur solcellspaneler och vindturbinblad till vindkraftverk i högre utsträckning ska kunna tas om hand på ett giftfritt och cirkulärt sätt i enlighet med avfallshierarkin. Redovisningen av detta regeringsuppdrag, rapporten Från avfall till resurs – Förslag för en mer cirkulär hantering av solcellspaneler och vindturbinblad, ER 2024:11, baseras på denna underlagsrapport som har tagits fram av forskningsinstitutet RISE på uppdrag av Energimyndigheten. Analyser, slutsatser och förslag/rekommendationer som framförs i rapporten är författarnas egna.En fortsatt utbyggnad av fossilfri elproduktion är av stor vikt för att vi ska kunna nå Sveriges energi- och klimatmål. För att utbyggnaden i sig ska vara hållbar är det viktigt att vi redan nu planerar för hur avfallet från dessa elproduktionsanläggningar ska förebyggas, minimeras och sedan hanteras.Det finns redan i dagsläget aktörer som har utvecklat och håller på att utveckla ett flertal olika lösningar för ökad cirkularitet. Dessa möjligheter kan tas tillvara och främjas genom regelbunden kartläggning och genom att arbeta gemensamt inom EU. Genom ett sådant arbete finns det också större möjligheter att etablera industriella värdekedjor i Sverige för hanteringen av avfallet från solcellspaneler och vindturbinblad.En cirkulär hantering av avfall ger ett betydligt mindre avtryck på miljön än det som en linjär hantering ger upphov till. Det är viktigt att de aktörer som tillhandahåller fossilfri elproduktion tar ansvar under hela livscykeln och att det finns goda förutsättningar för aktörerna att göra det.

In response to global challenges in resource supply, many industries are adopting the principles of the Circular Economy (CE) to improve their resource acquisition strategies. This paper introduces an innovative approach to address the environmental impact of waste Glass Fiber Reinforced-Polymer (GFRP) pipes and panels by repurposing them to manufacture structural components for new bicycle and pedestrian bridges. The study covers the entire process, including conceptualization, analysis, design, and testing of a deck system, with a focus on the manufacturing process for a 7-m-long prototype bridge. The study shows promising results in the concept of a sandwich structure utilizing discarded GFRP pipes and panels, which has the flexibility to account for variabilities in dimensions of incoming products while still meeting mechanical requirements. The LCA analysis shows that the transportation of materials is the governing contributing factor. It was concluded that further development of this concept should be accompanied by a business model that considers the importance of the contributions from the whole value chain. 

There is an urgent need for the development of viable recycling solutions for the increasing waste streams of glass fiber composites (GFRPs) from all sectors i.e. leisure boats, windmills and building constructions. Two potential recycling methods that can separate and recover both the polymers and the high-quality fibers from these kinds of materials are pyrolysis and solvolysis. In this project recycling of an epoxy-based Endof-Life wind turbine blade was evaluated in lab scale using the two methods. In previous literature the main focus has been on the quality of the fibers but in this project the main focus was to compare the chemical composition of the oil products. The produced oils from solvolysis and pyrolysis have been compared with a multianalysis approach by using elemental analysis, GC-MS, pyro-GC-MS/FID, 2D NMR (HSQC) for gaining more information about the chemical structure of the produced monomers (phenols), oligomers and polymers. Almost all the volatile matter in the End-of-Life wind turbine blade was recovered as pyrolysis oil, 36 wt.% yield. The solvolysis oil yield was lower, 17 wt.%, mainly due to a major part of the solvolysis oil ended up in the aqueous solvent. The composition of the oils from both technologies was analyzed based on both their volatile i.e. monomeric and polymeric content. The result point to that both methods produced oils with similar polymeric parts according to NMR and pyro-GC-MS/FID, based on an oxygenated aliphatic network connected with aromatic phenolic structures. Increased information of chemical oil composition will be useful for further processing as raw material in refineries/chemical industries. The monomeric part of the oil produced from pyrolysis was found in relatively large amounts, ~57 wt.%, and can be a future high-value product from recycling of wind turbine blades. The total recovery of phenolics from the pyrolysis was 18 wt.% of the wind turbine blade weight.

The Rekovind2 project, financed by the Swedish Energy Agency, focuses on digitizing wind turbine blade streams for reuse and recycling. This is of the utmost importance to enable new, more circular technical solutions that can replace today’s non-sustainable recycling, i.e. landfill and incineration of wind turbine blades. In this report, the work carried out to map the wind turbine blades in service in Sweden is presented. The digital platform intended to make possible the re-use of blades reaching end-of-life is build around key features that will be required for re-use: blade database with all needed informations on the blade (age, damages, material, model, ...), map with blades geolocation, digital tool to help blade processing such as cutting, and information on what can be done with EoL blades.

In order to achieve a more resource-efficient society and a future with reduced carbon dioxide emissions, new technological challenges must be dealt. One way to reach a more sustainable world is to start re-using end-of-life structures and waste and give them a “Second Life” with new functions in the society. As fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are lightweight, strong, stiff and durable materials, there is great potential to re-use decommissioned FRP structures for new resource-efficient solutions in the building and infrastructure sectors. The present paper investigates innovative solutions in re-using wind turbine blades and glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) pipes as structural elements in new bicycle and pedestrian bridges. Specifically, a concept design for decking system made of GFRP pipes is developed and discussed. The main design requirements for pedestrian bridges are considered and assumptions regarding end-of-life GFRP quality and their mechanical properties have been addressed. The aim of this paper is to contribute to a sustainable use of GFRP waste and at the same time provide a more cost-effective solution for short span pedestrian bridges. In a larger perspective, the authors would like to highlight the economically profitable potential of recovering and reusing/re-manufacturing end-of-life GFRP composites. © 2022, The Author(s)

The focus of this contribution is to highlight the challenges of chemical recycling of End-of-Life glass fiber composite (GFRP) waste from wind turbine blades utilizing solvolysis/HTL (hydrothermal liquefaction) methods based on subcritical water as solvent. A multitude of investigations have been published during the years regarding solvolysis of newly produced composite laminates and known thermoset composition (epoxy, polyester, and vinyl ester). However, a real wind turbine blade is more complex and constitutes of thermosets, thermoplastics, and other materials such as balsa wood. It is a very challenging task to separate these materials from each other within the wind turbine blade structure, so the premise for recycling is a mixed waste stream where little is known about the chemical composition. In the present study, the solvolysis process for GFRPs based on sub/supercritical water at 250-370 C and 100-170 bar process conditions with catalyst (acid and base) and additives (alcohols and glycols) was studied and optimized. The samples used are representative for End-of-Life wind turbine blades. The aim is therefore to investigate if it is possible to develop a general process that can accept all material constituents in a real wind turbine blade, resulting in recycled glass fibers and a hydrocarbon fraction that can be used as a refinery feedstock.

Utmaning är här nu - vi står inför en helt ny ström av kompositavfall från uttjänta vindturbinblad. Huvudmålet för detta projekt har varit att undersöka möjligheten att utveckla en kemisk återvinningsprocess för uttjänta vindturbinblad. Dessutom har Sveriges problematik med avseende på hantering av framtida avfallströmmar från vindturbinblad undersökts.Målet har varit att utveckla en solvolysprocess som kan användas på samtliga material i ett vindturbinblad dvs härdplastglasfiberkomposit (epoxi- och polyesterhärdplast och glasfiber), termoplaster (PET, PVC, PU) och balsaträ. Efter en screening av olika alternativa solvolyssystem har en tvåstegsprocess med glykol, alkohol och vatten optimerats (T 270-330 C, P<170 bar, 16-20 timmar). Från ett epoxibaserat vindturbinblad (ca 20-30% epoxiplast och ca 60-70% glasfiber) innehållande balsaträ erhölls produktströmmarna 15 vikt% olja och 65 vikt% glasfiber samt 13 vikt% pappersmassafraktion (räknat på bladvikt). För en möjlig ekonomisk lönsam kemisk återvinningsprocess måste högvärdiga slutprodukter genereras från vindturbinbladen. Vår bedömning är att oljan är den mest värdefulla produkten trots det låga utbytet. Produktoljan som har liknade kemisksammansättning som fossil olja (väte/kol kvot, H/C 1.5) har potential att ersätta fossil olja som ingångs material i raffinaderier och bidra till att framtida s.k. plastreturraffinaderier utvecklas. På detta sätt skulle vi kunna recirkulera kolväten vilket minskar uttaget av ny fossil olja och bidrar till minskad klimatpåverkan. Rekovind har också undersökt återvinnings problematiken runt hantering av vindturbinblad historiskt och estimerat framtida materialströmmar i Sverige. Eftersom installation av vindturbiner tog fart under 1990- och 2000-talet och den beräknade livslängden var 20-25 år, är behovet av lösningar för hantering av nedmonterade blad akut. I Sverige förväntas ca 1000-blad att behöva tas ur bruk mellan 2020-2025. Historiskt har det inte varit många nedmonteringar och dessa har hanterats med olika lösningar: renovering och andrahandsmarknad, förbränning och deponi. Vanligtvis upphandlas en återvinningslösning med en entreprenör och beroende på vilket land återvinningen sker i bestämmer vilket alternativ som praktiseras. Då det inte finns något producentansvar idag är det ägaren av vindkraftverket som ansvarar för återvinningen. (Bilaga 2 rapport: Circular economy and the management of end-of-life wind turbine blades) Under projektets gång har projektidén och resultat kommunicerats och diskuterats med industrin dvs bladtillverkare, vindkraftägare samt återvinnings- och kemisk industri. Vår tolkning av dessa möten är att intresset och viljan finns hos alla aktörer i värdekedjan för att samverka mot mer cirkulära lösningar för en hållbar vindkraft. Däremot saknas den ekonomiska potential för att utveckla de avancerade kemiska processerna då de är energikrävande och de återvunna slutprodukterna är idag dyrare än nytillverkad glasfiber resp. fossil olja.

The challenge is here now - we are facing a whole new stream of composite waste from decommissioned wind turbine blades. The main objective of this project has been to study the possibility of developing a chemical recycling process for Endof- Life wind turbine blades. In addition, the challenges of future waste streams from Swedish wind turbine blades has been investigated. The goal has been to develop a solvolysis process that can be used for all materials in a wind turbine blade, i.e. thermosetting glass fiber composite (epoxy and polyester thermosets and fiberglass), thermoplastics (PET, PVC, PU) and balsa wood. After a screening of various alternative solvents systems, a two-step process with glycol, alcohol and water has been used (T 270-330 C, P <170 bar, 16-20 h) for the separation of plastics from the glass fiber. From an epoxy-based wind turbine blade (approximately 20-30% epoxy plastic and 60-70% fiberglass) containing balsa wood, the product streams obtained were: 15 mass% oil and 65 mass% fiberglass and 13 mass% pulp fraction (calculated on blade weight). For a potentially economically profitable chemical recycling process, high-quality end products must be generated from the wind turbine blades. Our assessment is that the oil is the most valuable product despite the low yield. The product oil, which has similar chemical composition as fossil oil (hydrogen/carbon ratio, H/C 1.5) has the potential to replace fossil oil as an input material in refineries and contribute to the developed of future plastic refineries. In this way, we could recycle our hydrocarbons used for plastics, reducing the use of new fossil oil and contributing to reduced climate impact. Rekovind has also investigated the recycling problem of the management of wind turbine blades historically and estimated future material streams in Sweden. Since the installation of wind turbines took off in the 1990s and 2000s and the estimated service life was 20-25 years, the need for waste management solutions is urgent for future decommissioning of these wind turbines. In Sweden, about 1000 wind turbine blades are expected to be taken out of use between 2020-2025. Historically, the decommissioned wind turbine blades have been handled with different solutions: renovation and second-hand market, incineration and landfill. Usually, a recycling solution is procured with a contractor and depending on which country the recycling takes place in decides which alternative is practiced. Since there is no producer responsibility today, the owner of the wind turbine is responsible for recycling. (Annex 2 report: Circular economy and the management of end-of-life wind turbine blades) During the course of the project, the project idea and results has been communicated and discussed with relevant industry partners, i.e. blade manufacturers, wind turbine owners and recycling companies. Our interpretation of these meetings is that there is strong interest for all members of the value chain to work together towards more circular solutions for sustainable wind power. However, there is little economic potential for the development of advanced chemical processes since the energy consumption is high and the recycling products are more expensive than virgin fiberglass and fossil oil.

To achieve a more resource-efficient society with a future with reduced carbon dioxide emissions, new technological challenges must be dealt. One way to reach a more sustainable world is to start re-using end-of-life structures and waste and give them a Second Life"with a new function in the society. As composite structures are lightweight, strong, stiff and durable materials, there is great potential to re-use decommissioned composite for new resource-efficient solutions in the building and infrastructure sector. The present paper investigates innovative solutions in re-using wind turbine blades as elements in new bicycle and pedestrian bridge designs. Several conceptual bridge designs where wind blades utilized as load bearing elements were developed and studied. The main design requirements for pedestrian bridges were considered and assumptions regarding wind blades quality and their mechanical properties addressed based on interviews with industries working with wind turbine blades repair and recycling. The aim of this paper is to contribute to a sustainable use of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) waste and at the same time provide a more cost-effective FRP bridges. In a larger perspective, the authors would like to highlight the economically profitable potential of recovering and reusing / re-manufacturing end-of-life glass FRP composites.

The aim of this work was to investigate the possibility of processing forest residues by chemical delignification preceded by mild steam explosion. The focus was on using soda pulping, due to its simplicity. Kraft cooking was used for comparison to improve the understanding of the separation of the complex yet promising resource. The raw material consisted of chipped branches, bark, and twigs of mixed hardwood and softwood. Analysis of the raw material proved to be challenging due to the presence of a substantial fraction of extractives. Analysis of the pulps showed that the forest residue delignification was faster than that of wood. The effects of steam explosion were evaluated with the help of composition analysis, gel permeation chromatography (GPC) for the molecular weight of lignin, and NMR for the changes in its structure. The impact of steam explosion was found to be limited, possibly due to the relatively small size of the material.