Avangrid, a leading U.S. sustainable energy company, recently donated 300 pounds of decommissioned wind turbine blades to WindLoop, a Yale University student startup. This collaboration aims to test WindLoop’s groundbreaking process for wind turbine blade recycling, aligning with Avangrid’s commitment to a circular economy in the wind industry.
“Avangrid is at the forefront of renewable energy innovation in America. This partnership with WindLoop exemplifies our proactive approach to accelerating the clean energy transition. We’re committed to finding efficient blade recycling methods to enhance the circularity of our industry.”
Pedro Azagra, Avangrid CEO
Tackling the Wind Turbine Blade Recycling Challenge
Wind turbine blade recycling has long presented a challenge due to high transportation costs and the difficulty of extracting reusable materials like glass fiber and epoxy resin. The donated blades, sourced from Avangrid’s Baffin wind farm in Texas, will help WindLoop refine their solution.
WindLoop’s innovative strategy combines an on-site blade shredder to reduce transportation costs with a green chemistry process to effectively separate the valuable fibers and resin. Their unique approach can recover over 90% of turbine blade material, maximizing the value of these components.
Shubh Jain, CEO and Co-Founder of WindLoop: “A sustainable future powered by renewable energy requires minimizing waste and recycling materials for the next generation of clean energy manufacturing. WindLoop aims to fill the gap in large-scale industrial wind turbine blade recycling. Avangrid’s support is crucial for our research and development, enabling us to bring this much-needed solution to market.”
Avangrid’s Commitment to a Circular Economy
Avangrid is dedicated to minimizing resource consumption and waste, prioritizing a circular economy as one of its top environmental goals. The company has pledged to recycle 100% of its decommissioned wind turbine blades by 2030.
Laney Brown, Avangrid’s VP of Sustainability: “Sustainability guides every decision at Avangrid. Blade recycling is vital for the sustainable use of resources as we support the clean energy transition. We’re excited to collaborate with innovators like WindLoop to develop circular solutions that minimize our industry’s environmental impact.”
The Growing Importance of Wind Turbine Recycling
As the U.S. wind industry matures and repowering becomes more common (replacing turbine parts every 10-15 years), finding commercially viable blade recycling solutions is essential. This ensures the long-term sustainability of both current and future wind projects across the nation.
WindLoop’s team consists of four students from the Yale School of the Environment, located near Avangrid’s headquarters in Connecticut. This proximity fosters collaboration and knowledge exchange between the two organizations.