pwr_october-2023 - 9

GLOBAL MONITOR
For solar panels, at least, custom PV recycling options are
emerging to recover high-value materials like silver, copper, and
silicon. Still, according to U.S. Department of Energy data from
2022, recycling prices hover at roughly $15 to $45 per module,
" which is an order of magnitude higher than disposal in a landfill
fee, which is roughly $1-$5 per module, " EPRI noted. The organization's
technical briefs suggest that as a good practice, utilities
should identify the need to plan for decommissioning solar PV
early during project development, which could allow for " several
actions at the point of facility design and procurement to reduce
risks and influence options for asset management. "
Wind's Biggest EOL Challenge: Blades. EOL management
for wind farms could also prove costly owing to future logistical,
regulatory, and economic challenges. While industry group
American Clean Power (ACP) estimates that up to 80% to 94%
of a wind turbine-including its concrete, steel, and copper-
can be readily recycled, the fiberglass composites that make
up blades and nacelles are currently difficult to recycle. " The
commercially available [EOL] options for wind turbine blades
are currently limited to a few downcycling processes (i.e., the
recycled material is of lower quality and functionality than the
original material), landfill, and a small number of novel reuse
and repurposing solutions, " ACP says.
However, ACP suggests the wind industry is acutely aware
of the projected increase in EOL waste material from decommissioned
wind farms. The standard lifetime of an onshore wind
farm is about 20 to 25 years, and a 2017 study ACP cites estimates
that if global wind asset additions satisfy projections of
about 100 GW per year by 2050, the industry could grapple with
43 million tons of cumulative blade waste. The study suggests
that China would lead wind turbine blade waste at 40%, Europe
at 25%, the U.S. at 16%, and the rest of the world at 19%.
For now, the wind industry is actively and collaboratively investigating
options to make disposal more sustainable to design
a truly circular economy of composite materials. At the
top of its prioritized waste management hierarchy is prevention
(via redesigning blades for recycling and lifetime extensions),
followed by resale for second-hand reuse, then upcycling and
recycling (Figure 1). Recycling options include mechanical processes,
such as cutting, grinding, and crushing; chemical ones,
including solvolysis and high-voltage fragmentation; and thermal
ones, including pyrolysis and microwave pyrolysis. Materials
recovery, another option, involves incineration with heat
recovery through co-processing in a cement kiln.
Landfilling " ranks the lowest because there is no material
recovery, " ACP notes. " It is also the cheapest option for
blade disposal, where permitted by regulations. " But in many
locations, blade disposal in a landfill may be the only option
because transporting the blades to a recycling facility is costprohibitive.
" However, while safe for the environment and the
public, disposing of blades in landfills is not a viable long-term
option, " the industry group says.
To spur development of more sustainable and circular EOL
options, Europe's wind industry trade group in 2021 urged a
Europe-wide ban on decommissioned wind turbines by 2025,
notes ACP. " This initiative may eventually extend to other parts
of the world. In the U.S., some states have pursued legislation
that would either ban landfill disposal of blades or require a
percentage of blade waste to be reclaimed by manufacturers
through a take-back program, " it adds.
To ensure more efficient recycling, wind turbine manufacturers
are currently developing alternative resin systems, such as
a new thermoset resin that can be easily separated from fibers
October 2023 | POWER
www.powermag.com
9
https://www.powermag.com/partner-content/introducing-compression-based-load-monitoring-to-wind-turbines https://www.vfbolts.com/ https://www.vfbolts.com/products/spc4compression-bolt/ http://www.powermag.com
PWR_ October-2023

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