Partners: Aitiip, Moses Productos, University of Limerick, Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior De Investigacio, Evoenzyme, Specific Polymers, Centre Scientifique & Technique Del’industrie Text (CENTEXBEL), Instituto Tecnologico De Aragon (ITA), ÉireComposites, Kungliga Tekniska Hoegskolan, Innovacion Y Consulting Tecnologico (INCOTEC).
Funding: €4.6M over 42 months under HE
Disclaimer: The BLADE2CIRC project is funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Programme, Grant Agreement number 101147451 as part of the HORIZON-CL5-2023-D3-O2 call.
Pioneering Advanced Composites and Innovative Recycling Technologies
The BLADE2CIRC (https://blade2circ.eu/) project is at the forefront of extending wind turbine lifespans. This groundbreaking initiative unites 11 European organisations over 42 months, supported by €4.6M in funding from Horizon Europe. The consortium will explore the feasibility of advanced composites, including bio-based carbon fibres, thermosets, and other dynamic materials for blade manufacturing. In parallel, novel recycling technologies will be trialed to enhance the circularity of onshore and offshore wind energy systems.
Developing Sustainable Wind Turbine Blades
The overall purpose of BLADE2CIRC is to develop a circular alternative to traditional wind turbine blades by enhancing the recyclability of high-performance bio-based composite materials. Key objectives include:
- Innovative Bio-Based Carbon Fibres: Replace up to 50% of synthetic carbon fibres (e.g., Polyacrylonitrile-PAN) with bio-based alternatives, significantly increasing the bio-based share while meeting performance specifications.
- Advanced Bio-Based Thermoset Materials: Develop thermoset and dynamic materials with reversible building blocks to enhance circularity, offering 3R properties (repairability, reshapability, and recyclability).
- Cutting-Edge Recycling Technologies: Implement novel chemical and enzymatic routes for thermoset material degradation, avoiding downgrading and allowing 100% recovery of fibres without structural damage.
- Debonding-On-Demand Strategies: Design structural joint adhesives with functional additives like Thermally Expandable Particles (TEP) and Diels-Alder (D-A) for enhanced recyclability of wind turbine blades.
- Self-Healing and Omniphobic Coatings: Develop advanced coatings combining dynamic bio-based epoxy properties with microcapsules for self-healing and omniphobic capabilities.
- Performance Validation: Create bio-composite materials from bio-based carbon fibres and thermoset dynamic materials, validating their performance in wind turbine blade components.
- Sustainability Assessment: Evaluate the environmental, social, and economic sustainability of developed solutions using system dynamic modelling (SDM) to analyse value chain scenarios.
Achieving Climate Neutrality with Greener Energy Solutions
Europe’s ambitious target to reach climate neutrality by 2050 emphasises the need for energy sector innovation. The wind energy sector is poised to deliver up to 50% of the EU’s electricity by 2050. However, enhancing the circularity of wind turbines is crucial to achieve this goal sustainably. The BLADE2CIRC project is a significant step toward creating more sustainable wind energy systems, supporting the transition to a greener future.
