ESB has announced a new collaboration with BladeBridge, a Cork-based start-up specialising in wind turbine blade repurposing.

Over the past few months, the ESB innovation team working at the X_Site hub for sustainable innovation has collaborated with BladeBridge to identify new ways to repurpose wind turbine blades.

As part of the collaboration, a pilot has been developed that will see the construction of a brand-new e-mobility hub using repurposed, decommissioned wind turbine blades.

Solutions

Many developers are actively seeking solutions for recycling or repurposing wind turbine blades, as this challenge is set to grow substantially.

WindEurope estimates that approximately 25,000t of blades will reach the end of their operational life annually by 2025.

Germany and Spain are expected to face the highest number of decommissioned blades, followed by Denmark.

As the decade progresses, Italy, France and Portugal will also see a significant increase in blade decommissioning, potentially doubling the annual volume to 52,000t by 2030.