Navigating Circular Solutions: Repurposing of Wind Turbine Materials in the Built Environment

A key component of New Zealand’s plan to reduce overall emissions is to shift to a low-emission energy sector. Increasing the amount of electricity generated from renewable resources is a cornerstone of this plan. More wind farms will be installed across New Zealand in the coming years. In mature wind energy countries, the disposal of wind turbines at the end of their design life generates a huge concern. Wind turbines, which are made of composite materials (steel, fibreglass, resin, iron, and aluminium), are sent to landfill at the end of their usable life. To stay ahead of the game, New Zealand needs to streamline the repurposing of wind turbine blades to ensure the circularity of wind turbine materials to minimise the number of wind turbine blades going to landfills. This research undertakes a qualitative descriptive study to explore the repurposing possibilities of wind turbine blades, and understanding the drivers and challenges to the repurposing, in the New Zealand context. The study results show that acceptance of repurposed materials by the construction industry and the loading capacity of these repurposed materials will be the key challenges for their adoption. The key factors that drive repurposing momentum in New Zealand are drivers, cost, design, quantity, and partnerships.