Ireland's retired wind-turbine blades are getting strange second lives; old power equipment is now becoming benches, bike parking and picnic tables

Ireland's retired wind-turbine blades are getting strange second lives; old power equipment is now becoming benches, bike parking and picnic tables. The projects address a problem linked to the growth of wind energy: what happens to turbine parts after they stop producing electricity? Most parts of a turbine can be recycled, but blades contain fiberglass and resin composites that are difficult to process. Irish company BladeBridge is developing ways to reuse these materials in bridges, benches, bicycle parking, picnic tables, charging hubs and other structures. The work is part of a wider circular economy approach that seeks to keep materials in use instead of sending them to landfill or incineration.

Why wind turbine blade waste is becoming an issue?

Wind power is used as part of the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and move towards a net-zero economy. Onshore wind has one of the lower greenhouse gas footprints among energy sources when emissions are measured across its life cycle.


The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's 2021 figures give a median estimate of 13 grams of CO₂ equivalent per kilowatt-hour for wind power. The corresponding figure for natural gas is 490 grams, while coal-fired power plants have a median estimate of 1,001 grams of CO₂ equivalent per kilowatt-hour.

The International Energy Agency has also outlined the scale of growth required in wind power. Global wind generation stood at 2,330 TWh in 2023. Under the IEA's Net Zero Emissions by 2050 scenario, generation needs to rise to more than 7,100 TWh by 2030. This represents an approximate annual increase of 17%.

The expansion is also reflected in European policy.

• The European Union launched the REPowerEU plan in 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
• The plan seeks to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels.
• Wind Europe set out a target of 480 GW of wind capacity by 2030, compared with 190 GW in 2022.
• Ireland's Climate Action Plan 2024 aims for renewable electricity to account for 80% of electricity on the island by 2030.
• Ireland's targets include 9 GW of onshore wind and at least 5 GW of offshore wind.

This expansion means that planning for the end of a turbine's operating life is becoming part of the wider wind energy discussion.

How long do wind turbines last?

Wind turbines are designed around a lifespan of about 20 years, based on design requirements set by the International Electrotechnical Commission. In practice, many turbines operate for up to 25 years, while some have their operating lives extended to about 35 years.

Most of the turbine can be recycled. Around 85% to 90% of its mass consists of materials such as copper, steel and cast iron. The remaining 10% to 15% is mainly composite material used in the blades.

The blades create a particular waste challenge because fiberglass and resin composites are difficult to recycle through conventional methods. The amount of material involved could become significant.

By 2030, about 52,000 tonnes of wind turbine blades are projected to be decommissioned each year in Europe. That is roughly equivalent to the weight of 3,700 double-decker buses.

Globally, blade waste could reach about 43 million tonnes by 2050 without a circular approach to blade design, according to estimates by Liu and Barlow. That amount is comparable to approximately 3.1 million double-decker buses.

Ireland's retired wind-turbine blades are getting strange second lives

BladeBridge is an Irish company and a member of CIRCULÉIRE. The company was spun out of the Re-Wind Network, an international research group working on ways to reuse turbine blades. The Re-Wind Network includes researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology, University College Cork, Queen's University Belfast, City University of New York and Munster Technological University.

BladeBridge works with wind farm owners and operators to develop end-of-life options for retired blade material. The process starts by testing a blade after it reaches the end of its operating life. The company assesses its strength and determines what type of product can be made from the material. The blade is then designed into a new structure.

Some completed projects include:

• A bridge on the Midleton to Youghal Greenway.
• Benches on the Achill Greenway.
• Bike parking on the Achill Greenway.
• Picnic tables on the Achill Greenway.
• E-bike charging hubs developed with ESB.
• Furniture for a community centre in County Clare.

The company is also developing ideas for office pods, shelters and glamping pods.

Larger blades could create new uses

Wind turbine blades have increased in size as turbine technology has developed. This creates a challenge when older turbines are removed, but it also provides more material for new designs. The size, shape and structural strength of blades can be considered when designing products for their second use.

BladeBridge says it is currently the only company in Ireland repurposing turbine blades. It has also worked on pilot projects with ESB, TidyTowns and county councils. The approach allows a material designed to withstand wind and storms to be used in outdoor infrastructure.

How much carbon can blade reuse save?

BladeBridge uses retired turbine blades as alternatives to some virgin materials with higher carbon impacts, including steel and concrete. According to the company, its infrastructure designs can result in 20% to 50% lower environmental impacts compared with conventional alternatives. It says this performance goes beyond green public procurement initiatives.

The products can also reduce costs over their lifespan because they require less maintenance than some conventional infrastructure. For local authorities and communities, the structures also provide a visible example of circular economy practices. Each product can retain a connection to the turbine from which its material came.

BladeBridge estimates that repurposing one tonne of wind turbine blades saves the equivalent of half a tonne of CO₂. The calculation is based on the average CO₂ savings from raw materials across 12 different repurposing scenarios. The company's goal is to reuse as much turbine material as possible and prevent it from going to landfill or incineration. It estimates that its work could prevent up to 900 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions each year.

Why the material works for public infrastructure?

Wind turbine blades are designed to be durable. They are generally made using combinations of fiberglass and resin and are built to withstand wind and storms over many years. The same properties that make the material difficult to recycle can make it useful for outdoor structures. This allows sections of retired blades to become infrastructure rather than waste. The idea can also be applied beyond Ireland.

Examples from other countries

• Denmark: The city of Aalborg has installed public bicycle shelters made from decommissioned turbine blades from a local wind farm.
• Netherlands: Blade-Made uses sections of retired turbine blades to make street furniture, playground equipment and architectural features.
• Poland: Anmet recycles and repurposes turbine blades for different applications, including small-scale bridges and city furniture.
• United States: GE Renewable Energy partnered with Veolia North America to process blades from onshore turbines in the US. The blades are shredded and used as raw material for cement manufacturing.
• Recyclable blades: Siemens Gamesa has developed the RecyclableBlade, which uses a different resin that allows the materials in a blade to be separated at the end of its operating life.

These projects show that blade management does not have to rely on a single solution. Reuse, recycling and material processing can all form part of an approach to turbine waste.

What this means for the circular economy?

The growth of wind energy reduces emissions from electricity generation, but the equipment used to produce that energy also has to be managed when it reaches the end of its life. The challenge is particularly clear with turbine blades. Steel, copper and other turbine materials already have established recycling routes, while composite blades require different methods.

Turning blades into benches, bicycle parking, bridges, picnic tables, shelters and other structures keeps the material in use. It also changes how communities can view decommissioned equipment. Instead of treating an old blade only as waste, its structural properties can be assessed and used in a new application. The approach does not remove the need for blade recycling. Instead, it adds another option for material that can still serve a structural purpose.

For Ireland, where wind capacity is expected to expand as part of its renewable electricity targets, the question of what happens to retired turbines will become more relevant. Projects such as those developed by BladeBridge provide one route for dealing with part of that future material stream.