Ireland needs to capitalise on its vast wind resources to reach its climate goals and provide home-grown clean energy. We also need to re-think how we manage resources and embracing circularity when developing wind energy projects and plan for their end-of-life cycle.
The average lifespan of wind turbine blades is typically 25 years. Even after this length of time, the blades still have a lot of life left in them as they are crafted from composite materials that withstand massive forces and extreme weather. Current methods of disposal include sending turbine blades to landfill with this practice set to be banned in Europe by 2025.
Global energy developers, industry, innovators, and academia are all looking at sustainable solutions when it comes to identify use of blades beyond their lifetime. At ESB, we have been committed to wind since our first 5MW wind farm was opened in Crockahenny, Co Donegal in 1998 and increased our onshore wind farm capacity since then to almost 1GW.
As outlined in our new Sustainability Leadership Plan, we are committed to the sustainable sourcing of materials (including recycled materials) and implementing end of-life plans for wind turbines, solar panels, and batteries to maximise reuse or recycling of materials. Through finding ways to repurpose materials, we can work to reduce and prevent further landfill waste.
Project Concept
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Pictured is our innovation team at the 2024 Transport Research Arena (TRA) exhibition in Dublin with the e-mobility project housing repurposed blades.
In the coming years, some of our wind farms will be decommissioned with the associated wind turbine blades meeting the end of their lifespan. We recently collaborated with BladeBridge, a Cork-based start-up that was initiated by X_Potential, our internal incubator programme, which develops innovative, sustainable and commercially viable business ideas.
As a company that specialises in wind turbine blade repurposing, through this collaboration, we will use decommissioned wind turbine blades for new e-mobility hubs that will house e-bikes, cargo bikes, e-scooters and will feature chargers for electric vehicles.
As part of our collaboration with BladeBridge we are running two pilots that will span 24 months using recyclable and sustainable materials including decommissioned wind turbines.
EVPZ Pilot
Three e-hubs solely for use by electric vehicles will be installed in Swords, Sandyford Business Park and a third site to be confirmed in Dublin. Each e-hub will include an ESB charge station and two shared EVs will be available at all times provided by car share suppliers Go Car, Drive You and Yuko.
ROBUST Pilot
Four larger e-hubs will be installed in Waterford City, Galway City, Dublin and Sligo. The larger e-hubs will include EV and eBike charging stations along with four eBikes, one eCargobike and two EVs. Our partners in Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and Atlantic Technological University (ATU) will conduct all research associated with this pilot.
As part of the programme, we will provide charging stations and ESB branded eBikes and eCargo bikes that can be booked within a dedicated app. In addition to the hubs being constructed from repurposed wind turbine blades, a charging station constructed from repurposed wind turbine blades will also be installed at one specific site (yet to be named).
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The initial prototype of an e-mobility hub set to be rolled out as part of the pilot.