At the end of the project’s life, what is really recycled, and what is the cost to decommission?
“they weren't designed with recycling in mind”
quote from Dr. Kazem Fayazbakhsh, an Assistant Professor at Ryerson University, quoted in USA TODAY. “Fact check: Wind turbine blades can be recycled, but it rarely happens today” November 30, 2021
Figure from Institute for Sustainable Development, Report available at: https://www.iisd.org/story/green-conflict-minerals/
Problems with Wind Power (text reproduced from Seibert, M.K.; Rees, W.E. Through the Eye of a Needle: An Eco-Heterodox Perspective on the Renewable Energy Transition. Energies 2021, 14, 4508. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14154508).
The large metal wind turbines that have become ubiquitous today are composed primarily of steel towers, fiberglass nacelles and blades, and multi-element generators and gearboxes that contain large amounts of steel (iron) and copper. Roughly 25% of all large wind turbines use permanent magnet synchronous generators (PMSGs)—the latest generation technology that uses the rare earth metals neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), dysprosium (Dy), and terbium (Tb). The remaining 75% of operating wind turbines use some form of conventional magnetic generator. Employment of PMSGs is expected to grow given their post-implementation advantages [67].
Mining and processing the rare earth metals now common in most wind turbines produces significant toxic waste. Many rare earth metals are bound up in ore deposits that contain thorium and uranium, both of which are radioactive [68]. Sulfuric acid is used to isolate the rare earth metals from the ore, exposing the radioactive residue and producing hydrofluoric acid, sulfur dioxide, and acidic wastewater [68,69]. One ton of radioactive waste is produced for every ton of mined rare earth metals. Rare earth metal processing for wind turbines already generates as much radioactive waste as the nuclear industry [69].
A 3.1 MW wind turbine creates anywhere from 772 to 1807 tons of landfill waste, 40 to 85 tons of waste sent for incineration, and about 7.3 tons of e-waste [20]. Wind turbine blades, made of composite materials, are completely unrecyclable at present [28].
The Facts on Waste Generated at the Project’s End of Life
The Wind Developer has stated that 80% of the project is recyclable. This is a lie. As we will see, over 80% of the project mass is left in the ground.
In January of 2021 the U.S. EPA released a document titled “Briefing Paper on Renewable Energy Waste Management.” That document was clear there is no plan to recycle renewable energy technologies such as wind energy. https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-releases-briefing-paper-renewable-energy-waste-management
That press release stated “Not only are there byproducts and energy demands associated with the production of so-called green technologies, but these systems also produce materials requiring careful end-of-life management to avoid creating unexpected burdens on individuals and communities and the risk of causing new Superfund sites and wasting of scarce and valuable resources.”
As for a few examples, the blades are a composite with a lot of plastic. They are currently landfilled or left lying on the side of a road. See the photos and article about a U.S. turbine blade landfill https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-02-05/wind-turbine-blades-can-t-be-recycled-so-they-re-piling-up-in-landfills
Second, the foundation for these 575-foot turbines is huge. Check out this web page for photos of typical foundations http://www.steelwindtower.com/wind-turbine-foundation-5-foundation-types-explained-for-onshore-wind-turbine/
Most of the previous metals and rare earth minerals are not recycled, and the steel reinforced concrete accounts for the majority of waste associated with wind turbine decommissioning. It is in fact, approximately 80% of the project’s total weight (see Waste Disposal & Sustainable Energy, Vol. 3, pages 117-144, 2021). And sadly, it is left in the ground for future generations.
Decommissioning. What is the Cost and Who Pays?
Wind Developers typically promise a local community that they will purchase a bond that guarantees a specific dollar amount per turbine to remove the project after its 20-year life span has ended.
These agreements typically don’t include removal of the massive concrete foundation. Experience in Minnesota in fact has shown the current cost for decommissioning the above ground part of the project is over half a million dollars for just one turbine! Again, that does not include removal of a foundation or site restoration.
This price goes up and up every year. We wonder who is left holding the bag on decommissioning for costs no one can project 20 years into the future? I think you know the answer, local taxpayers.