RWE and turbine manufacturer Siemens Gamesa are driving a new era of wind turbine innovation with the first ever large-scale installation of recyclable blades at a UK offshore wind farm.
Highly unique, the rotor blades are made using an innovative resin. At the end of the blade’s operating life, the various materials can then be easily separated from the other components as a result and can be recycled, for example into vehicle components and consumer goods like bicycle helmets and suitcases.
Following an agreement signed in 2023 with Siemens Gamesa, RWE’s Sofia Offshore Wind Farm, located off the north-east coast, is now being fitted with a total of 150 recyclable blades, used across 50 of its 100 wind turbines. Already 50% of the recyclable blades have been fitted at the wind farm, with Siemens Gamesa continuing installation throughout the rest of the year.
Thomas Michel, COO, RWE Offshore Wind said: "This installation represents an important moment for RWE and Sofia. Deploying recyclable blades at this scale is an indicator of RWE’s drive to deliver sustainability across its renewables fleet. By working with partners like Siemens Gamesa, we are setting a new sustainability benchmark for renewables development and helping significantly improve the circularity of offshore wind technology.”
Darren Davidson, Vice President of Siemens Energy UK&I and Siemens Gamesa UK said: "Seeing the first recyclable blades being installed in UK waters is a major landmark moment. This is a great example of how we can share knowledge and work together to deliver on both energy security and a net zero future. Our Hull factory is at the cutting edge of blade technology development & manufacturing. As a global leader in energy technology, we’re proud to be partnering with RWE on Sofia, one of the largest offshore wind farms in the world.”
The deployment of the recyclable blades at such scale builds on RWE’s successful world-first installation of the Siemens Gamesa recyclable blades at the company’s Kaskasi Offshore Wind Farm, in Germany. It also highlights RWE’s commitment to identifying and using sustainable solutions that support a low-carbon, circular economy.
Offshore construction at Sofia is progressing well and is being undertaken by Siemens Gamesa using the specialist vessel Wind Peak, which is operated by Cadeler out of the Port of Hull.
At 1.4 gigawatts (GW) maximum installed capacity, Sofia is one of RWE’s largest offshore wind farms currently in construction and is located on Dogger Bank in the central North Sea, 195 kilometres (km) off the North East coast. The project is being fitted with the very latest Siemens Gamesa SG 14-222 turbines with 108-metre-long turbine blades and a 222-metre rotor diameter. Once fully constructed and aiming for a target operational date of 2026, Sofia will be capable of generating enough renewable electricity, to power approximately 1.2 million typical UK homes once fully operational.
Video and images of Sofia offshore wind farm for media use (credit: RWE) are available at the RWE Media Centre.
Further information about RWE’s Sofia Offshore Wind Farm can be found here.
