Germany – The first turbine of RWE’s Kaskasi offshore wind farm was just put into service and is now transmitting clean electricity to the grid 35 kilometers north of the island of Heligoland.
Nine of the 38 Siemens Gamesa SG 8.0-167 DD Flex offshore wind turbines, each with a capacity of nearly 9 megawatts, are currently installed (MW). The sixth offshore wind farm for RWE is Kaskasi. When fully operational by the end of 2022, Kaskasi will be able to produce enough green electricity annually to power more than 400,000 German homes.
Recycled turbine blades
The Kaskasi project now boasts the first recycled wind turbine blades that have been installed, thanks to Siemens Gamesa. At the end of their lifecycle, the parts of the 81-meter-long RecyclableBlades can be recycled for use in new applications. RWE and Siemens Gamesa are paving the way for wind turbines to be fully recyclable.
Recycling procedures for many wind turbine parts are well-established. The recycling of the composite materials previously used in wind turbine blades has been more difficult. The components are all joined together by the resin system used. Siemens Gamesa uses a resin type in its RecyclableBlade that has a chemical structure that makes it possible to effectively separate it from other parts after decommissioning. By safeguarding the materials’ qualities, the process enables their reuse in fresh casting applications, such as in the automotive sector or in consumer goods like flight cases and flat-screen casings.
