SVPI Lab

Sol Vind Policy Innovation Lab - SVPI Lab.  

Wind turbine blades and solar panels are essential for the transition to both fossil-free and renewable energy. In order for circular value chains of solar panels and wind turbine blades to reach their full potential, this policy lab will facilitate industry collaboration on policy and regulatory development. 

For a future fossil-free electricity production to achieve sustainable power supply, the entire value chain in renewable energy needs to become sustainable. Research funds have been invested in the development of renewable energy in wind and solar; however, there are knowledge gaps in managing these energy sources after their technical lifespan. This was established in RiR 2023:11, with the conclusion that there is a lack of data to develop appropriate policy instruments, and more resources are needed to build a functioning waste management system for these structures. The review of how blades and solar panels are handled in the current system reveals significant shortcomings in existing legislation. 

Worn-out blades end their life in energy recovery through incineration or in landfills, despite this being contrary to the intention behind existing legislation. Today, blades (that are not classified as hazardous waste) are considered construction and demolition waste. Since legislation has recently been tightened with collection and sorting requirements for recycling, it should be possible to prevent blades from going to incineration and/or landfill. At the same time, there is a landfill ban for products with more than 10 percent organic material. As the blades contain about 30 percent plastic, this means that they technically should not be landfilled in Sweden. 

Since the installation of wind power took off during the 1990s and with an expected lifespan of 20-25 years, the volume of decommissioned wind turbine blades is expected to increase significantly from 2030. Therefore, there is a great need for new resource-efficient solutions within the waste hierarchy. Since landfill and incineration currently have a relatively low cost (2–4 thousand SEK per ton), newer material recycling solutions struggle to compete. To stimulate this value chain, new policy instruments and incentives are needed to enable actors to engage in more sustainable material recycling of decommissioned blades. 

To ensure future circular handling and prevent incineration and landfilling of wind turbine blades there is a significant need to influence future policies and regulations towards circular management. The detailed description of how current blades is provided in RiR 2023:11. Therefore, this project contributes to these areas: 

1. Knowledge, expertise, and solutions to improve the ecological sustainability and resource efficiency of the electrical system. - Resource-efficient solutions for circular handling of blades need to be developed to stimulate new actors to develop material recycling systems and to prevent improper waste management. 

2. Knowledge of how circular flows can contribute to a sustainable electrical system has increased. - Technically approved decommissioned blades can be included in reuse loops, thereby contributing to increased circularity. However, due to insufficient incentives and policy measures, the easiest and least costly solution of incineration and landfilling is currently chosen. 

3. Costs and resource efficiency throughout the lifecycle of a power plant, regulatory adaptation, and recycling. - Today's regulations for handling wind turbine blades have been reviewed in RiR 2023:11. They note shortcomings in governance; therefore, current policies must be developed to stimulate the establishment of a circular recycling of wind turbine blades.