New circular routes for EoL wind turbine blades – JEC Composites N170

The REWIND Project has been featured in the latest issue of JEC Composites Magazine No. 170, in the Technology: Recycling section.

The feature recognises REWIND’s progress in creating sustainable pathways for the reuse and recycling of composite materials, demonstrating how end-of-life wind turbine blades can be transformed into valuable resources for new industrial applications. It also highlights the consortium’s advances in blade dismantling, material characterisation, cutting optimisation, and the development of innovative recycling technologies that are helping unlock high-value recovery routes for composite materials.

More than 20 m² of decommissioned blade sections are already being repurposed into new industrial products, from electric commercial vehicle panels to thermal insulation materials. Bringing together 13 European partners, the Horizon Europe Rewind project is developing a complete value chain for wind turbine blade circularity and aims to demonstrate that end-of-life blades can become valuable industrial resources rather than waste.

The consortium brings together complementary expertise covering every stage of the value chain. Suez is responsible for dismantling technologies and non-destructive material identification. Tekniker develops cutting optimisation and Long Fibre Delamination (LFD) technologies, while Hochschule Pforzheim is investigating future blade availability and electropulse fragmentation. Aimplas is developing advanced pyrolysis and solvolysis routes, while BCircular is scaling up its pyrolysis technology to produce high-quality recycled fibres and R-Nano focuses on fibre characterisation and sizing. DITF converts recovered fibres into textile semi-finished products, Alke develops structural sandwich panels, Miljøskærm produces thermal and acoustic insulation materials, and CompositePatch evaluates recycled materials for structural repair systems. IPC coordinates predictive modelling together with sustainability, circularity and eco-design activities. PNO Innovation Italy supports the exploitation of the project results, while Aemac leads the dissemination, communication and stakeholder engagement activities. Aimplas coordinates the project, which will run until 2028.”

During its first two years, the project has already recovered more than 20 m² of blade sections for reuse and recycling trials. These achievements coincide with the voluntary landfill ban for decommissioned wind turbine blades promoted by WindEurope, which entered into force on 1 January 2026.

REWIND CONTRIBUTING TO WIND ENERGY SECTOR 

Being featured in one of the leading international publications for the composites industry underscores the significance of REWIND’s work and its contribution to accelerating the transition towards a circular economy in the wind energy sector. By developing practical and scalable solutions for the management of end-of-life wind turbine blades, the project is helping reduce environmental impact while creating new opportunities for the recovery and reuse of advanced composite materials.

More information – New Circular Routes for End-of-Life Wind Turbine Blades. JEC Composites Magazine

In the Media

JEC Composites Magazine, Nº170, Automation & Road Transportation. September 2026