The offshore wind sector continues to soar with amazing growth pathways ahead. At the same time the first generation of turbines are starting to reach the end of their service lives. This wave of new construction combined with mass decommissioning presents the industry with fresh challenges in how it manages its resources.
How can we sustainably secure the huge volumes of materials such as copper, cobalt and neodymium? And how do we manage components and materials in line with the green credentials of the sector? Circular economy approaches can turn these challenges into new business opportunities.
Workshop programme
At this workshop we will:
You will also have the opportunity to stay for an hour of quick fire presentations on blade recycling technologies, identified in a study by the Energy Transition Alliance. You will be able to express interest to take part in roundtable meetings for feasibility assessments taking place early 2021.
Further information
Read more about an initial circular economy framework for offshore wind on the CIWM website (see diagram above), outlining 15 possible strategies to take.
An introduction to circular economy approaches for a sustainable offshore wind sector can be found on the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult website. Here you can also listen in to a podcast on circular economy in the wind sector.
This workshop is part of the project “A Sustainable Circular Economy for Offshore Wind” at the University of Leeds, co-funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult and the Department for International Trade. Please find more information about this project on the University of Leeds Geosolutions Centre website.
Header image credit: Barrow_Offshore_wind_turbines.jpg: Andy Dingley