GE, LafargeHolcim Partner to Improve Circularity of Wind Industry with Turbine Recycling Initiative
Renewable energy solutions company GE Renewable Energy, and building materials company LafargeHolcim announced today an initiative aimed at improving the circularity of the wind energy industry through the utilization of materials from decommissioned wind turbines.
Jérôme Pécresse, CEO of GE Renewable Energy said:
“This is a truly exciting next step in our journey to introduce new circular lifecycle improvements for the wind industry. We are delighted to work with LafargeHolcim on these critical projects, which will help to improve the sustainability of wind power now and well into the future.”
As the world shifts away from conventional energy sources such as fossil fuels in a bid to eliminate carbon emissions and limit the climate impact of energy, massive investments into new, cleaner sources of energy such as wind and solar power are being made. Most renewable energy sources, however, can create their own environmental impact, with waste production emerging as a major pain point for wind energy.
GE and LafargeHolcim’s collaboration aims to address this issue, by exploring new ways of recycling wind blades, including as a construction material to build new wind farms. The initiative builds on LafargeHolcim’s work, under its Geocycle brand, to recover energy from GE’s decommissioned turbine blades after they have been removed from the turbine and shredded.
Edelio Bermejo, Head of LafargeHolcim’s Global Innovation Center said:
“With sustainability at the core of our strategy, accelerating renewable energy and the circular economy are top priorities for our business. I’m very excited about this collaboration with GE Renewable Energy because it meets both goals at once.”