Turning the Tide: RWE Rolls Out Recyclable Blades at Sofia Offshore Wind Farm in a Historic First

Siemens Gamesa has now installed half of the recyclable blades at RWE’s Sofia offshore wind farm in the United Kingdom. The turbine manufacturer will continue the installation process throughout the remainder of the year. RWE confirmed that this marks the first large-scale deployment of recyclable blades at an offshore wind farm in the country.

The blades themselves are built using an innovative resin. What makes this resin unique is that once the blades reach the end of their operating life, the different materials can be separated with relative ease. They can then be recycled into new products, ranging from vehicle components to consumer items such as bicycle helmets and travel suitcases.

“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,” said Thomas Michel, COO, RWE Offshore Wind.

Under an agreement signed in 2023 with Siemens Gamesa, the Sofia offshore wind farm will ultimately be equipped with 150 recyclable blades. These blades will be distributed across 50 of the project’s 100 SG 14-222 DD turbines. The farm is located off the northeast coast of the UK.

RWE stated that offshore construction at Sofia is advancing steadily. Siemens Gamesa is carrying out the work with the installation vessel Wind Peak, operated by Cadeler and based in the Port of Hull.

In addition, Van Oord recently completed monopile installation using its jack-up vessel, Aeolus. EEW manufactured the monopiles.

The Sofia offshore wind farm is expected to have a capacity of 1.4 gigawatts upon completion in 2026. According to the developer, the project will be able to generate enough renewable power to supply around 1.2 million households in the United Kingdom.