Cross-sector collaboration is key to recycling offshore wind infrastructure

A study by UK innovation body Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult entitled Circular economy in the wind sector, describes in detail each of the materials and components that make up offshore wind turbines and the prospects for their reuse. It also provides detailed information on how supply chain opportunities and economic value are linked to the decommissioning of end-of-life offshore wind turbines.

Explains the importance of cross-sector collaboration to maximize recycling of renewable energy infrastructure.

“Technologies and experiences from other sectors should be sought and leveraged to support greater opportunities for circular materials in the wind industry,” the report says.

“Focusing on cross-sector collaboration and finding synergies between end-of-life materials across industries will be essential to achieving economies of scale and investment (which) are key to finding cost-effective recycling solutions.”

Catapult says suppliers are “willing and ready” to take on the challenge of decommissioning offshore wind farms, but it requires a clear work schedule and timetable.

“Transparency from operators on timing, materials and quantities will support the supply chain in having the technology and capacity to operate and process end-of-life wind turbines,” the report says.

It also calls on wind farm owner-operators to work with equipment manufacturers to “determine where, how and what quantities of materials should be recovered at the end of life.”

Performance gaps

The report cited a number of “circularity and efficiency gaps” it identified in the supply chain related to the decommissioning of offshore renewable assets.

One of them is the recovery of structures from the seabed. “Structural metals are widely recycled, but recovering monopile and pile structures from the seabed remains a technological challenge,” the report says. “Scaled technology demonstrations have proven successful for some innovations, but questions remain about the level of material recovery that will be required by the relevant authorities.”

Similarly, there are problems associated with recovering submarine cables from the seabed. While recovering sections of export and network cables from the seabed for repair is common, the report says the challenge is to scale up the technology to the level necessary to recover the entire cable from the seabed.

Recycling of structural metals is another point of contention. “While scrap handling and steel recycling is widespread in the UK, the downstream supply chain for the offshore wind industry is not local,” it says.

“The UK Government has recognized the key role that rare earth elements play in achieving net zero emissions, as outlined in its Critical Minerals Strategy published in 2023,” it added. “These materials need to be recovered and reprocessed in the supply chain.”

Other gaps in the process, according to the report, include technological solutions for the recovery and recycling of rare earth materials; storage and reuse of composite materials; reusing rubberized hydraulic hoses and managing the huge amount of materials and equipment needed to decommission an entire wind farm.

Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult project manager, development and operations Vanessa Smithson-Paul said the study “follows extensive consultation across the industry and supply chain.”

“These conversations helped us identify key gaps, revealing opportunities that exist for new technologies or circular supply chain solutions,” she continued.

“We are grateful to the companies that have partnered with us for sharing valuable insights and helping to highlight opportunities across the decommissioning landscape, demonstrating that collaboration is not only crucial, but desired across the industry.”

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