Feasibility of Natural Fibre Usage for Wind Turbine Blade Components: A Structural and Environmental Assessment

Kyle Pender (), Konstantinos Bacharoudis, Filippo Romoli, Peter Greaves and Jonathan Fuller
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Kyle Pender: National Composites Centre, Bristol & Bath Science Park, Emersons Green, Bristol BS16 7FS, UK
Konstantinos Bacharoudis: Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, Offshore House, Albert St., Blyth NE24 1LZ, UK
Filippo Romoli: National Composites Centre, Bristol & Bath Science Park, Emersons Green, Bristol BS16 7FS, UK
Peter Greaves: Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, Offshore House, Albert St., Blyth NE24 1LZ, UK
Jonathan Fuller: National Composites Centre, Bristol & Bath Science Park, Emersons Green, Bristol BS16 7FS, UK

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 13, 1-31

Abstract: There are two key areas of development across wind turbine blade lifecycles with the potential to reduce the impact of wind energy generation: (1) deploying lower-impact materials in blade structures and (2) developing low-impact blade recycling solution(s). This work evaluates the feasibility of using natural fibres to replace traditional glass and carbon fibres within state-of-the-art offshore blades. The structural design of blades was performed using Aeroelastic Turbine Optimisation Methods and lifecycle assessment was conducted to evaluate the environmental impact of designs. This enabled the matching of blade designs with preferred waste treatment strategies for the lowest impact across the blade lifecycle. Flax and hemp fibres were the most promising solutions; however, they should be restricted to use in stiffness-driven, bi-axial plies. It was found that flax, hemp, and basalt deployment could reduce Cradle-to-Gate Global Warming Potential (GWP) by around 6%, 7%, and 8%, respectively. Cement kiln co-processing and mechanical recycling strategies were found to significantly reduce Cradle-to-Grave GWP and should be the prioritised strategies for scrap blades. Irrespective of design, carbon fibre production was found to be the largest contributor to the blade GWP. Lower-impact alternatives to current carbon fibre production could therefore provide a significant reduction in wind energy impact and should be a priority for wind decarbonisation.

Keywords: flax fibre; hemp fibre; basalt fibre; natural fibre; wind turbine blade; lifecycle assessment; recycling; sustainability; design optimisation; structural analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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