Wind and solar power is now being built rapidly in Finland. Comparatively new forms of energy also give rise to doubts. And no wonder: the effects of pioneering technologies were feared already in the era of industrialization. This article dismantles the most common misconceptions about renewable energy.
Myth 1: A wind turbine pollutes and cannot be recycled.
Wind power is renewable and emission-free in the production phase. In addition, wind turbines do not generate fuel runoff into the soil. However, shocking horrors sink into people more easily than positive news. Individual wind turbine blades have been raised in the recycling discussion. An attitude survey commissioned by Ilmatar also shows that some Finns think wind turbine blades are hazardous waste that is buried in the ground.
In reality, the blades of power plants can currently be recycled up to 90%. Composite materials for wings are not hazardous waste, but are called cumbersome waste due to their complex structure. The wing is mainly made of fiberglass, which can be recycled into raw material for the concrete industry, for example. However, the composition of the wings varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and other composites can also be used in the wings. For example, the large amount of carbon fibre can make cost-effective recycling difficult. Wing materials are no longer disposed of in waste treatment areas, as they were in the last millennium. Recycling solutions have evolved tremendously.
Susanna Tarkka-Partanen, Business Manager for Hazardous Waste at Stena Recycling, says that the company is able to recycle wings on an industrial scale. More than a hundred wings have already been recycled in Finland. Ilmatar’s power plants have not yet ended up in circulation, but the company has wanted to respond to the recycling challenge in a front-loaded manner.
As wind power becomes more common, better recycling solutions will also be developed. Marju Lappi, Marketing and Communications Manager at Stena Recycling, hopes that power plant manufacturers and recycling companies will cooperate more. When manufacturers and recyclers share information with each other, for example, about the material solutions of wings and their recyclability, synergy benefits are achieved when the latest information is available to all parties.