ZEBRA Project Revolutionizes Wind Turbine Blade Recycling with Arkema’s Innovative Closed-Loop System

ZEBRA Project Revolutionizes Wind Turbine Blade Recycling with Arkema’s Innovative Closed-Loop System

(IN BRIEF) The ZEBRA (Zero wastE Blade ReseArch) project has made significant strides in wind turbine blade recycling by demonstrating a closed-loop system that fully recycles thermoplastic blades. Led by the French Institute for Technological Research, IRT Jules Verne, the project involves a consortium of industry leaders including Arkema, Owens Corning, LM Wind Power, SUEZ, CANOE R&D center, and ENGIE. Together, they have developed a process that allows for the recycling of Elium® resin and Ultrablade® fabrics, addressing the challenges of end-of-life blade management. Key achievements include Arkema’s successful production of recycled Elium® monomer and Owens Corning’s recovery of glass fiber for reuse. The project not only enhances sustainability in the wind energy sector but also emphasizes economic viability through improved recycling methods.

(PRESS RELEASE) NANTES, 3-Oct-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — The ZEBRA (Zero wastE Blade ReseArch) initiative represents a significant advancement in the recycling efforts for wind turbine blades, showcasing a comprehensive solution that enables the full recycling of thermoplastic blades, delivering both environmental and economic advantages.

Collaboration Among Industry Leaders Fuels Innovation

The ZEBRA project is spearheaded by the French Institute for Technological Research, IRT Jules Verne, and features a collaboration of leading companies in the field. This consortium includes Arkema (resin supplier), Owens Corning (glass fiber supplier), LM Wind Power (blade manufacturer), SUEZ (dismantling and waste processing), the CANOE R&D center (recycling technology), and ENGIE (life cycle analysis).

Each partner has contributed significantly to the development of the innovative closed-loop recycling process:

• Arkema focused on the creation and validation of recycled Elium® monomer via thermolysis, and along with its subsidiary Bostik, formulated a groundbreaking adhesive for blade assembly that is recyclable with Elium®, setting the stage for industrial-scale production.
• Owens Corning successfully recovered glass fiber at a pilot scale, facilitating its reintegration into the production of their Sustaina® product line.
• LM Wind Power manufactured two wind turbine blades using Arkema’s Elium® resin and Owens Corning’s Ultrablade® fabrics, with one blade incorporating a significant structural component made from recycled Elium® resin.
• SUEZ provided expertise in cutting and grinding techniques essential for processing the blades.
• CANOE R&D center optimized recycling methods for both production and carbon blade waste, innovating ways to repurpose waste streams through mechanical recycling.
• ENGIE conducted an extensive life cycle analysis, illustrating the environmental benefits of the ZEBRA closed-loop system and affirming its economic viability.

Paving the Way for Sustainable Wind Energy Solutions

The ZEBRA initiative has successfully recycled Elium® resin and Ultrablade® fabrics from end-of-life wind turbine blades, transforming them back into functional materials. This closed-loop approach addresses the urgent challenge of managing blades at the end of their lifecycle within the wind energy sector.

Highlights from the project include:

• Recycled Elium® Monomer: Arkema achieved a yield exceeding 75% through the thermolysis process, paving the way for large-scale production of recycled resin.
• Recovered Glass Fiber: Owens Corning successfully extracted glass fiber for remelting and reintegration into their Sustaina® product line.
• Life Cycle and Cost Analysis: ENGIE’s comprehensive study confirmed the notable environmental benefits and economic feasibility of ZEBRA blades within a closed-loop recycling framework from production through to end-of-life.

The ZEBRA blades utilize Elium® thermoplastic resin, Bostik’s compatible adhesive, and Ultrablade® fabrics, presenting a superior closed-loop recycling solution compared to traditional thermoset systems. This approach significantly reduces operating costs and investment needs for recycling facilities, while also lowering CO2 emissions associated with the recycling processes. These outcomes position the ZEBRA closed-loop recycling solution as a viable option from both economic and environmental perspectives.

About CANOE

CANOE is a French research and technology provider specializing in polymer formulation, fiber-reinforced composite manufacturing, and recycling process development. They offer comprehensive R&D services across the entire manufacturing chain of composite parts, from design and prototyping to pre-series and industrialization assistance.

About Arkema
Building on its unique set of expertise in materials science, Arkema offers a portfolio of first-class technologies to address ever-growing demand for new and sustainable materials. With the ambition to become a pure player in Specialty Materials, the Group is structured into 3 complementary, resilient and highly innovative segments dedicated to Specialty Materials – Adhesive Solutions, Advanced Materials, and Coating Solutions – accounting for some 92% of Group sales in 2023, and a well-positioned and competitive Intermediates segment. Arkema offers cutting-edge technological solutions to meet the challenges of, among other things, new energies, access to water, recycling, urbanization and mobility, and fosters a permanent dialogue with all its stakeholders. The Group reported sales of around € 9.5 billion in 2023, and operates in some 55 countries with 21,100 employees worldwide.

About IRT Jules Verne – www.irt-jules-verne.fr
IRT Jules Verne is a mutualized industrial research centre dedicated to manufacturing. Working closely with production equipment manufacturers and integrators, IRT Jules Verne caters to 4 strategic industrial sectors: aeronautics, shipbuilding, the automotive industry, and renewable marine energy. The IRT team works hand in hand with the very best industrial and academic resources in the manufacturing field. Its vocation is to improve the competitiveness of strategic industrial sectors in France by creating disruptive technologies for
manufacturing processes. Its mission is to speed up innovation and technology transfer to factories. In its bid to provide comprehensive solutions up to scale-1 demonstrators, IRT Jules Verne installs and utilises a wide range of exclusive state-of-the-art equipment.

About LM Wind Power – www.lmwindpower.com
LM Wind Power, a GE Vernova business, is an industry-leading developer and manufacturer of high-quality rotor blades for onshore and offshore wind turbines with blade services solutions and a global manufacturing footprint, headquartered in Denmark. LM Wind Power has produced over 270,000 blades since 1978, corresponding to 152 GW installed capacity and mitigation of 332 million metric tons of CO2-emission. As part of the its sustainability journey, LM Wind Power became the first carbon neutral company in the wind industry in 2018 and is committed to building Zero Waste Blades by 2030.

About Owens Corning – www.owenscorning.com
Owens Corning is a global building and construction materials leader committed to building a sustainable future through material innovation. Our four integrated businesses – Roofing, Insulation, Doors, and Composites – provide durable, sustainable, energy-efficient solutions that leverage our unique material science, manufacturing, and market knowledge to help our customers win and grow. We are global in scope, human in scale with more than 25,000 employees in 31 countries dedicated to generating value for our customers and shareholders, and making a difference in the communities where we work and live. Founded in 1938 and based in Toledo, Ohio, USA, Owens Corning posted 2023 sales of $9.7 billion. For more information, visit www.owenscorning.com.

About SUEZ
SUEZ is a major player in environmental services. For almost 160 years, SUEZ has supported local communities and industrial companies in the management of essential services such as water, waste, and air quality. As such, SUEZ produces drinking water for 66 million people worldwide, recovers 2 million tons of secondary raw materials per year, and generates 3.1 TWh of renewable energy from waste. In our ongoing management of the ecological transition and climate change challenges, SUEZ relies on the expertise and commitment of its 35,000 employees (particularly in France, Italy, Central Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia) to offer high value-added and customized environmental solutions to all its customers. SUEZ’s expertise allows, for instance, its customers to avoid the emission of 4.2 million tons of CO2, thus improving their carbon footprint and their impact on climate. With a turnover of nearly 7 billion euros and backed by its expertise and capacity to innovate, SUEZ has strong growth prospects. SUEZ relies on a solid consortium of investors made up of Meridiam and GIP – with 40% stakes each and the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations Group with a 20% stake in the capital, including 8% held by CNP Assurances, to pursue its strategic development plans in France and internationally.

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SOURCE: Arkema