ESB Group to collaborate with BladeBridge to repurpose wind turbine blades
ESB has announced a new collaboration with BladeBridge, a Cork-based start-up specialising in wind turbine blade repurposing. The company had participated in the ‘2050 Accelerator’ programme, a sustainability-focused start-up accelerator run by Dogpatch Labs, in partnership with ESB. Over the past few months, the ESB Innovation team working at the X_Site hub for sustainable innovation has collaborated with BladeBridge to identify new ways to repurpose wind turbine blades.
As part of the collaboration, a mutually beneficial pilot has been developed that will see the construction of a brand-new e-mobility Hub using repurposed, decommissioned wind turbine blades. The project will support the circular economy and align with ESB’s goal of Net Zero by 2040 through three key objectives; decarbonising energy, building resilient infrastructure, and empowering customers to live more sustainably.
Donal Phelan (pictured right), Head of Innovation at ESB Group, said: “We are delighted to be working with BladeBridge to repurpose wind turbine blades through the development of an exciting e-mobility Hub that will showcase that this type of infrastructure can still serve a purpose after decommissioning while preventing further landfill waste. Our expertise in understanding the civic environment, safety and electrical standards, and engineering and design capabilities, together with BladeBridge’s expertise in blade reverse engineering for repurposing, are what make this project possible.”
Dr Angie Nagle (pictured left), CEO of BladeBridge, said: “Wind turbines have a 25-year lifespan, and the blade is the only part of the turbine that is not commercially recyclable – which poses a huge problem for wind farm owners. Once decommissioned, these blades still have a lot of life left in them, as they are crafted from composite materials that withstand massive forces and extreme weather conditions. Current methods of disposal include sending turbine blades to landfill, which will be banned in Europe by 2025. In collaboration with ESB Group we will repurpose decommissioned wind turbine blades into sustainable infrastructure with the construction of a new e-mobility Hub.”
BladeBridge repurposes decommissioned wind turbine blades into sustainable infrastructure such as pedestrian bridges and e-bike charging stations. Their mission is to prevent as much blade material from going to landfill as possible, while creating durable, aesthetically pleasing products for sustainable transport and living. Some of their creations can be seen on the Midleton to Youghal greenway in Cork, and the Achill greenway in Mayo.
