Design of collection strategies for neodymium magnets present in end-of-life wind turbines and electric vehicles in the European Union

The demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and wind turbines have been rising significantly in the EU as the EU wants to become carbon neutral by 2050 and generate 40% of its energy through renewable sources in order to avoid climate change and its consequences. However, both these technologies use several critical raw materials essential for their...

A circular hub for end-of-life wind turbine blades: Analysis of the location and magnitude of return volumes of wind turbine blades in and around the Netherlands until 2050 for the development of a circular wind hub at a Dutch port under the application of different circular strategies

Wind turbine blades are composed of complex composite material structures that are difficult to recycle at the end of their operational lifetime. As such, they are oftentimes landfilled or incinerated. Following the Circular Economy principles, there are a multitude of strategies that may be applied to these structures; these range from more to...

Material Recovery from Dutch Wind Energy: A dynamic material flow analysis on Dutch wind turbines towards 2050 including recycling approaches for recovery of key materials

The transition to a renewable electricity system requires more intensive material use, causing problem shifting in environmental impacts. To conserve resources for the future and mitigate environmental impact, circular economy principles are needed. This study analyses material flows in Dutch wind energy towards 2050 to identify the potential...

Reuse of wind turbine blades in a slow traffic bridge

This master thesis presents a research & design project, aimed at finding a new use for decommissioned wind turbine blades. Wind energy is becoming a major source of renewable energy. As a result, a large stream of wind turbine materials arises. Most of these materials can be recycled very well, but the rotor blades pose a big problem after...