Yet again we are blindly creating a legacy for our children to deal with, not Nuclear, but Wind power.
Wind turbines, onshore and offshore, are a contentious environmental issue. Their very image is used for the promotion of Green energy production, but how green are they? Are we all blinded by the shear greenness of them? I think we are, for there is a dark shadow looming in the back ground, a legacy we will be leaving for our children to deal with - the blades of these turbines are currently being sent to landfill due to the complex make up of carbon fibres, glass fibres and resins.
Denmark is currently leading the field in post life treatment of these blades, burning them to generate more power but up to 60% of the blade materials are left behind with landfill being a choice destination. There is research being carried out to see if the residue can be reused, but this research is very young.
Turbines are getting bigger and so are the blades. It is reported that within the next twenty-five years some 225,000 tonnes of rotor blade material will need to be recycled world-wide, approximately 100,000 tonnes in Europe. In Wales, I see no research or mention of how we are going to deal with this waste potential.
In a strive to combat global warming by creating a greener source of energy we are running headlong into an environmental disaster.
Wind turbines, onshore and offshore, are a contentious environmental issue. Their very image is used for the promotion of Green energy production, but how green are they? Are we all blinded by the shear greenness of them? I think we are, for there is a dark shadow looming in the back ground, a legacy we will be leaving for our children to deal with - the blades of these turbines are currently being sent to landfill due to the complex make up of carbon fibres, glass fibres and resins.
Denmark is currently leading the field in post life treatment of these blades, burning them to generate more power but up to 60% of the blade materials are left behind with landfill being a choice destination. There is research being carried out to see if the residue can be reused, but this research is very young.
Turbines are getting bigger and so are the blades. It is reported that within the next twenty-five years some 225,000 tonnes of rotor blade material will need to be recycled world-wide, approximately 100,000 tonnes in Europe. In Wales, I see no research or mention of how we are going to deal with this waste potential.
In a strive to combat global warming by creating a greener source of energy we are running headlong into an environmental disaster.
