09/08/2023

Turning turbine blades into footbridges

Image: Queen's University Belfast

The researchers have also been looking at ways to use the blades to build bus shelters, barriers, street furniture and telecommunications towers.

Official Press Release Queen's University Belfast:

Researchers transform landfilled wind turbine blades into footbridges

Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast are transforming wind turbine blades, which are set to be landfilled or incinerated, into footbridges that can hold the weight of a 30-tonne digger.

Over the last 30 years wind farm development has been scaled up globally but this is now posing a major environmental challenge. The turbine blades, which are non-biodegradable, have a lifespan of just 20-25 years. After this, they are either landfilled or incinerated. Currently, there are around 11,000 wind turbines in the UK. Estimates suggest that 450 blades will be decommissioned in Ireland by 2030. Researchers also predict that based on a 20-year lifespan, there will be around 8.6 million tonnes of blades being decommissioned worldwide by 2042. In a bid to tackle... ... More: Official Press Release Queen's University Belfast