Denmark – RWE is making significant strides in sustainability by incorporating recyclable rotor blades and CO2-reduced steel towers at its Danish offshore wind farm, Thor.
In a pioneering move, RWE will equip 40 out of the 72 wind turbines at Thor with recyclable rotor blades developed by Siemens Gamesa. The installation is scheduled for 2026. Additionally, RWE will pilot CO2-reduced steel towers from Siemens Gamesa, aiming for a minimum 63% reduction in tower steel plate emissions compared to conventional steel.
RWE has already been testing recyclable wind turbine blades at the German offshore wind farm, Kaskasi, and has decided to implement them at Thor as well. This demonstrates RWE’s dedication to driving the offshore sector towards circular practices. Moreover, RWE is pioneering the use of CO2-reduced steel towers, marking a significant step in reducing the carbon footprint of wind turbines.
Reuse of wind turbine blades
Recycling wind turbine blades at the end of their life cycle has posed challenges due to the composite materials used. However, Siemens Gamesa has developed a new type of resin with a unique chemical structure that enables the separation and reuse of composite materials. This breakthrough ensures that the properties of the materials remain intact, allowing them to be repurposed in applications such as the automotive industry or consumer goods, thereby avoiding landfill waste.
Thor wind farm
The Thor wind farm, located in the Danish North Sea, will be built approximately 22 kilometers from Thorsminde on the west coast of Jutland. With a capacity of over 1,000 MW, Thor will be Denmark’s largest offshore wind farm to date. Once fully operational, expected by the end of 2027, the wind farm will generate enough green electricity to power over one million Danish households, accounting for one-third of the country’s total households. RWE’s previous Danish offshore wind farm, Rødsand 2, has been operational since 2010.
