German wooden wind turbine blade manufacturer Voodin Blade Technology GmbH has announced the world’s first prototype installation of its 19.3-meter wooden wind turbine blades. The blades are installed on an existing wind turbine in Breuna, Germany.
Wind energy is a renewable and sustainable energy source, but there are still hurdles to solve to make it as sustainable as possible. Wind energy is growing rapidly, playing a key role in helping countries avoid fossil-based energy.
However, while up to 90 percent of wind turbines are recyclable, the blades are currently not.
Wind turbine blades are currently made of fiberglass and carbon fiber bound together with epoxy resin, a material that is difficult and expensive to break down.
The usual lifecycle of wind turbine blades is 20 to 25 years. As the first generation of blades approaches the end of their commissioning life, new, more sustainable turbine blade solutions are needed to ensure sustainable wind energy production in the future.
The fiberglass and epoxy resin cannot be reused, meaning the material will go to waste once the blade is decommissioned.
Sustainable and recyclable LVL blades
Voodin Blade Technology’s wooden wind turbine blades are made of laminated veneer lumber (LVL). Wood is a much more sustainable raw material than the currently used composite materials.
LVL enables noticeably better recycling of decommissioned blades, a high level of automation – not possible with current materials –, and more flexibility.
At the end of their lifecycle, most blades are buried in the ground or incinerated. This means that—at this pace—we will end up with 50 million tonnes of blade material waste by 2050. With our solution, we want to help green energy truly become as green as possible, said Tom Siekmann, CEO at Voodin Blade Technology.
High level of automation
Voodin Blade Technology uses CNC milling machines that are particularly effective in creating complex 3D shapes.
This allows for a high level of automation, as no mold is needed in the manufacturing plants. The CNC milling also enables more flexibility because the technology can manufacture any blade type.
By increasing the level of automation, the need for labor decreases. As a result, manufacturing does not need to be done in countries with lower labor costs, where it is often done.
This then means that production is also possible closer to the wind farms, allowing transportation costs and emissions caused by transportation to be reduced.
Furthermore, wood, especially LVL, is a highly durable material; even more durable than the currently used composite materials.
Through intricate laboratory testing, Voodin Blade Technology has ensured that the material will perform even in the toughest conditions of onshore wind energy production which takes up approximately 85 percent of the current wind energy sector.
We have conducted hundreds of laboratory tests during the past two years to perfect the blade material. According to all our tests, our blades are even more durable than the existing fiberglass blades, as they show fewer fatigue characteristics and are proven to endure all kinds of onshore weather conditions extremely well, explained Jorge Castillo, Co-Founder at Voodin Blade Technology.
The first prototype blades have been installed on an existing wind turbine in Breuna, Germany, near the city of Kassel. The company is building new prototypes, including bigger 60-meter and 80-meter blades as a next step.
