Oxford Brookes experts support European initiative to boost wind turbine sustainability

Two experts from Oxford Brookes University have joined a European research project aimed at revolutionising wind turbines to boost their long-term sustainability.

Professor James Broughton, Research Lead in Engineering, and Dr Marco Raugei, Senior Lecturer and Senior Research Fellow in Mechanical Engineering, are part of the 42-month-long project, which aims to reduce the environmental impact of wind turbines across their entire life, from creation to decommissioning.

Professor Broughton and Dr Raugei have teamed up with Spanish tech research group Fundacion Gaiker and 13 industry, research and academic partners for the project called ‘Ecores Wind’, backed by the Horizon Europe research and innovation fund. The project was launched at a meeting at the Basque Technology Park, in Zamudio near Bilbao, on 18 and 19 September. 

The Oxford Brookes team will assess every stage of the wind turbine material life cycle, identifying opportunities to maximise sustainability and material recovery. There will be a particular focus on discovering a viable replacement for resin—the glue-like substance that holds wind turbine blades together—to improve the sustainability of the turbines and making material recyclability a reality. 

Professor Broughton said: “The need for more sustainable practices in the wind energy sector is urgent as wind farms in Europe are on the increase and the old ones now need replacing. As the wind power industry grows rapidly, finding better ways to recycle and replace ageing turbines is therefore crucial.

“The project team have developed lab-scale resin materials that show promise for being sustainable and recyclable, however the challenge now is whether they can be scaled up to viable production levels. While some resins may be suitable for material recovery, their manufacturing processes might be less sustainable. Our Oxford Brookes team will conduct Life Cycle Assessments on these resins in order to evaluate their sustainability, which includes their disassembly at end of life.

“By focusing on minimising environmental impacts, reducing costs, and addressing social implications, our work will ensure that the materials used in wind turbines—particularly in the blades—are sustainable from development through to decommissioning, thus realising a truly circular economy.”