Castellón, December 14th 2023

 

The ZEBRA (Zero wastE Blade ReseArch) consortium today announces the successful completion of the full scale validation testing of the first recycable blade and production of the second recyclable thermoplastic blade, further advancing the wind industry’s commitment to achieving a circular economy.

The second blade, measuring 77 m in length, was made at LM Wind Power’s blade plant in Castellón, Spain, using Arkema’s thermoplastic liquid resin Elium® known for its recyclability, and Owens Corning’s high performance glass fabrics. It features a new Carbon-Elium® resin spar cap technology and a new adhesive from Arkema’s subsidiary Bostik specialized in adhesive solutions.

 

Importantly, the second ZEBRA blade is a world-first in using recycled Elium® resin in the manufacture of a shear web, which is a structurally important component of the blade, and demonstrates the potential of the resin technology to deliver sustainable blade designs and simulating the circularity of the Elium® resin.

 

“The ZEBRA project is proceeding according to schedule and will soon deliver its final results. The successful achievement of the test campaign on the first blade and the completion of this second blade represents a major achievement both for the consortium and for the wind energy industry as a whole. The next major milestones for the year 2024 will be the delivery of a complete life cycle analysis based on the blades produced in the frame of ZEBRA project, the focus on recycling activities and the completion of validation testing on the second blade containing the new Carbon-Elium® resin spar cap,” emphasises Guillaume SANA, project leader at the IRT Jules Verne.

 

Read the press release