Independent TD Carol Nolan has called for greater levels of clarity on how the State intends to effectively recycle wind turbine blades.
Deputy Nolan, who represents Laois and Offaly, was speaking after Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan accepted in a parliamentary reply to her that wind turbine blades “do represent a challenge, as current designs cannot be melted or re-moulded.”
The Independent TD had asked minister Ryan if his department had issued any guidance on the disposal of decommissioned wind turbine blades and if he accepted that due to the material from which these blades are constructed there are exceptional environmental challenges in disposing of them.
Minister Ryan further noted in his reply that in the coming years, a significant number of onshore wind turbines are expected to reach the end of their service life, but that approximately 90% of a turbine’s components are made of steel or iron material, which is readily recyclable:
“Recycling wind turbine blades are a notorious environmental challenge right across the EU indeed globally and that is why we need a far degree of clarity around the State intends to dispose of them, be it through landfills or in some other way,” said Deputy Nolan.
“To the best of my knowledge we have over 11,000 tons of wind turbine blades due to be decommissioned by 2025.
“Indeed, I have seen reports from Strathclyde University in the UK that global turbine waste is set to rise from 400,000 tonnes per year in 2030 to two million tonnes by 2050.”
“As I understand it countries such as “Germany, Finland and the Netherlands have a landfill ban in place but there is no harmonised European approach in place.
“This is particularly relevant to my own constituency where the onshore Yellow River wind farm is due to be located on land between Croghan and Rhode next year.
“I accept that research on more environmentally friendly wind turbine blades is being conducted by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, but the fact remains this research has been going for years at the global level and has not really moved us beyond the current model of blade, which is heavily dependent on fibreglass.
“Minister Ryan also informs me that while offshore wind farm developers must submit a decommissioning plan for consideration by An Bord Pleanála, he anticipates that these decommissioning plans will include proposals around recycling and reuse including with respect to decommissioning and end of life policies and that these will be monitored for compliance by the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority.
“I don’t want ‘anticipated’ plans. I want clarity around how these blades which can be hundreds of feet in length are going to be disposed of without causing environmental damage or creating additional burdens within the communities that may be asked to accept them in local landfills,” concluded Deputy Nolan.
