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This year, sustainable infrastructure manufacturer, Acciona Energia, made headlines when it teamed up with professional surfer Josh Kerr to give retired wind turbine blades a new life as a surfboard.
The world-first initiative was part of the company’s longstanding commitment to a circular economy and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
But as Lousie Johnson, Community & Stakeholder Engagement Lead, explains, it also served a broader purpose.
“It has given us a unique talking point for community engagement. When we work in project development in NSW, we have guidelines around when and how we do our engagement. There is obviously some flexibility in that, but it means we primarily engage with stakeholders in relation to our project and don’t tend to have those broader conversations around renewable assets, what happens when we’re decommissioning – things like that.
“So, from our perspective this gives us a really good opportunity to broaden our networks and talk with different stakeholders and find people that are interested in the types of things that that we’re interested in. Not just related to a specific project or the approvals process.”
Countering disinformation
The turbine initiative has also helped dispel myths around decommissioned assets, in a climate where disinformation is rife.
“There are a lot of misconceptions around what happens to renewable assets when they reach their end of life. Many believe they can’t be recycled.
“We get challenged a lot when we’re starting to develop a renewable infrastructure project. People ask us what is going to happen in thirty years when the blades are no longer operational. So, it’s great to be able to show people in a credible way how much potential there is for them to be repurposed.”
Louise says it’s important to have these conversations early, rather than waiting for wind farms to reach old age.
“We need to put this on people’s radar now, so that we can be prepared for when wind turbines are decommissioned.
“In 5 to 10 years’ time, we will see older wind farms that will need their wind turbine blades recycled, but we can’t wait until then to be having the conversation about how that can be done.”
Piquing interest
Acciona Energia’s surfboard initiative isn’t just about trying to prove that turbine blades are recyclable or reusable.
“Our message is two-fold. Yes, we’re showing that a large proportion of turbine blades can be repurposed, but we’re also showing the types of things they can be made into.
“People are really interested in surfboards. They’re quintessentially Australian. It’s not to say that every wind turbine blade that’s recycled will be turned into a surfboard. But we wanted to show that proof of concept that something like this can be done.”
How does the initiative work?
Acciona Energia’s surfboard initiative uses a mechanical process to break decommissioned blades into a particulate material and integrate the material into fibreglass during the glassing process.
It explores various applications for this recycled blade material, transforming it into raw materials for new products. Alongside surfboards, it is being considered for use in playgrounds and roads.
The company also emphasises collaboration with innovators and manufacturers to drive new applications and scale up turbine blade recycling solutions. Through these collaborations it has incorporated the particulate into a range of high-performance composites.
International involvement
Acciona Energia’s Spanish operation is also involved in the scheme, partnering with companies like fashion brand El Ganso to design sneakers with soles made from recycled blade material.
The same material has been used in the torsion beams of solar trackers at a solar plant in Extremadura.
Closer to home, a regional recycling facility is being looked at for Dubbo, New South Wales – an initiative Louise is particularly excited about.
“I live out in that region, so it’s close to my heart. I’d love to see those opportunities come out here,” she said.
A campaign to be proud of
The scale-up is both a response to and a stimulus for Louise’s community engagement efforts.
“It’s a concrete example of what can happen because we’re starting those conversations early and bringing universities, businesses, government stakeholders together.
“It has really extended our networks, it’s challenged us, it’s put us in different rooms, we’ve got different partners.
“I wasn’t involved in developing the surfboards, but I’m really proud of the campaign that we have.”
Further insight
Sharing more on Acciona Energia’s community engagement work, Louise Johnson will present at the upcoming Energy Infrastructure and Community Engagement Conference.
Louise’s presentation will discuss:
• When opportunities to not talk about your projects can help your engagement
• Investing in the future to enhance what we’re doing today
• Letting actions, not words, tell the story to help change the narrative around recycling
Learn more and register your tickets here.
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