RWE just made UK wind history with recyclable turbine blades

Global energy giant RWE just hit another milestone at its Sofia Offshore Wind Farm in the North Sea – it’s finished installing all of its recyclable wind turbine blades, the first time that’s ever been done at scale in the UK.

All 150 blades are now in place – 50 turbines, each with three Siemens Gamesa blades that can be recycled at the end of their lifespan. The installation marks the UK’s first large-scale use of this kind of circular blade technology offshore.

Sofia is being built on the Dogger Bank, the shallow central area of the North Sea, and it’s one of RWE’s largest projects currently under construction. It uses Siemens Gamesa’s next-gen SG 14-222 DD turbines, which feature 108-meter blades and a rotor diameter of 222 meters.

This milestone comes right after another big step forward: RWE has now installed more than half of Sofia’s 100 offshore wind turbines, 195 kilometers (121 miles) off the UK’s east coast. So far, 62 of the Siemens Gamesa 14-megawatt (MW) turbines are up, each standing a massive 252 meters (827 feet) tall. The project remains on track to come online commercially by September 2026.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

Once fully operational, Sofia’s 1.4-gigawatt (GW) capacity will generate enough clean electricity to power about 1.2 million UK homes.

The recyclable wind turbine blades were made by Siemens Gamesa at its factory in Hull, England. A special resin is used that allows the blade’s composite materials to be separated at the end of their service life. That means they can be repurposed into new products, such as car parts, bike helmets, and suitcases, instead of being landfilled.

This isn’t RWE’s first crack at recyclable blades. The company first used them at Germany’s Kaskasi Offshore Wind Farm and plans to install them again at its Thor project off Denmark’s coast.

The Sofia Offshore Wind Farm, previously known as Dogger Bank Teesside B, was fully acquired by RWE in 2017 and renamed shortly thereafter. It’s one of four Dogger Bank offshore projects approved in 2015.

Read more: After a sluggish spring, US wind power is set for a 7.7 GW rebound

The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them. 

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.