The result of the LIFE-BRIO project will be an innovative end-of-life scheme for wind turbine rotor blades that will comprise all the stages, from the dismantling in the windfarm and the environmentally-friendly recycling process to the final use of the recovered materials in precast concrete elements and multilayer structures.
This new approach will enable to reduce the global environmental impact of obsolete blades, providing a potential solution when they become waste, prioritizing materials recycling against energy recovery, incineration or disposal on landfills. The outputs of the project will be the base for treating these complex elements in the near future when windfarm are expected to be significantly replaced or repowered all over Europe.
Thus, the expected results obtained from the intended demonstration experiences are the following:
- Guidelines with best proven practicesand methodology in dismantling and reverse logistic of rotor blades that could be extended to other onshore wind farms in the rest of the European Union.
- Recycling methodology that allows a recycli
ng rate of rotor blades of more than 75% (by weight) of the materials: metals, inorganic fibres, polymers. - Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions reduction (in terms of CO2 equivalent): At least 6.000 kg CO2 per blade.
- Guidelines with recommendations for European Commission in legislation concerning the dismantling, management and recycling of end-of-life wind turbines.