Swift Modelling And Rapid Testing of Decommissioned Blades (SMART-Blades)

WHY

The rapid growth of the offshore wind sector over the past decades is now introducing a new and pressing challenge: the end-of-life management of wind turbine components. Wind turbines are typically designed for an operational lifetime of approximately 25 years, after which they are decommissioned in accordance with contractual and regulatory requirements. While a significant proportion of turbine materials can be recycled, primarily due to the steel content of support structures, wind turbine blades present a major sustainability bottleneck. These blades are composed of fibre reinforced composites, which are difficult to reprocess using conventional recycling methods. Current solutions, such as shredding and co-firing in cement kilns, are economically viable but ultimately result in downcycling, thereby failing to retain the high intrinsic value of these advanced materials.

At the same time, there is growing recognition that many decommissioned blades still retain substantial structural integrity. Due to conservative safe-life design philosophies and safety factors embedded in their engineering, blades are often removed from service while still in good physical condition. This presents a unique opportunity to shift from recycling towards higher-value reuse strategies. In particular, structural repurposing of blades into applications such as bridges, sound barriers, or building components aligns strongly with circular economy principles and current societal needs. In the Netherlands alone, the demand for infrastructure renewal and housing development is immense, creating a natural synergy between decommissioned blade availability and construction material demand.

Despite this promising outlook, large-scale adoption of blade reuse remains limited. A key barrier is the lack of reliable, efficient methods to assess the structural condition and residual strength of blades after their operational lifetime. Existing approaches often rely on incomplete operational data or require expensive and time-intensive physical testing campaigns, making them unsuitable for widespread application. Moreover, current initiatives tend to focus on individual blades or bespoke projects, resulting in fragmented knowledge that cannot easily be generalised across blade types.

This project addresses these challenges by aiming to develop a rapid, scalable, and cost-effective methodology for assessing decommissioned blades. Building on initiatives such as the SMART-Blades concept, which aims to enable large-scale structural repurposing by improving understanding of blade geometry, materials, damage, and properties, the project seeks to unlock the full potential of wind turbine blades as circular construction elements.

WHAT

The SMART-Blades project adopts a structured, practical approach to enable large-scale structural reuse of decommissioned wind turbine blades. The project begins with the development of a rapid, cost-efficient inspection and testing protocol. This protocol is essential to determine blade condition in a reliable yet economically viable manner. It focuses on three key aspects: geometry acquisition, material inspection, and physical testing. Within the consortium, experts from both the wind energy and construction sectors collaborate to evaluate and select the most suitable inspection techniques, ensuring that the methodology is robust and applicable across different blade types.

Following the development of the testing plan, the project proceeds with the sourcing of blades. A range of blade types is selected to ensure that the results are representative of current and near-future decommissioning streams. While the project primarily focuses on onshore blades—due to their immediate availability—the developed methods are explicitly designed to be transferable to offshore applications. This forward-looking strategy ensures that a validated testing and reuse framework is in place before large-scale offshore decommissioning begins. Subsequently, logistical preparations are carried out, including blade transport, storage, and test site setup. Industrial partners will contribute with expertise in handling, transport, and construction. This collaboration ensures efficient execution of the testing campaign.

The on-site phase spans two months. In the first month, blades are delivered, geometrically scanned, and subjected to visual and non-destructive inspections, such as ultrasonic and thermographic testing. In parallel, contractors construct the test setup and explore cutting and reuse techniques. In the second month, full-scale tests—such as bending tests—are conducted to assess structural behaviour under controlled loading conditions.

After testing, the blades are segmented for detailed cross-sectional analysis and coupon testing. These results are combined with geometric data to develop structural models, which are validated against experimental outcomes. This integrated approach enables the development of a scalable, reliable, and economically attractive method for assessing blades for structural reuse.

EXPECTED RESULTS

The SMART-Blades project is expected to deliver tangible results that contribute to circularity in offshore wind decommissioning and strengthen the competitiveness of the Dutch industry across short-, medium-, and long-term horizons.

In the short term, the project will generate a comprehensive knowledge base by inspecting and testing 3 to 5 commonly used wind turbine blades. This will provide valuable insights into resource availability, material characteristics, and structural performance of decommissioned blades. The full-scale testing campaign will demonstrate the technical feasibility of structural reuse, directly supporting ongoing pilot applications such as blade-based bridges and other applications. Furthermore, these demonstrations will help shift public perception away from landfill disposal towards high-value reuse solutions, highlighting the potential of blades as circular construction materials.

In the medium term, the developed knowledge and validated testing protocol will facilitate commercial follow-up projects. By establishing a reliable reference framework, blades from similar turbine types or batches can be assessed more efficiently, significantly reducing the need for repeated testing. This lowers both costs and technical barriers, making structural reuse more attractive for industry stakeholders. In addition, the project will contribute to developing a robust value chain by bringing together actors from the wind, construction, and recycling sectors. This alignment is essential to enable scalable and economically viable reuse solutions.

In the long term, the project will support the establishment of a new market for blade reuse in the Netherlands. By enabling local repurposing of decommissioned blades, it contributes to job creation, innovation, and sustainable economic growth. Moreover, the generated knowledge and methodologies can be internationally applied, strengthening the global competitive position of Dutch companies in wind turbine decommissioning and circular construction.