An eastern Iowa business is using a new way to recycle wind turbine parts once they’re no longer in service.
REGEN Fiber in Fairfax is owned by Travero, a subsidiary of Alliant Energy. Company president Lisha Coffey tells KCRG TV their process is more sustainable. “You have this equation: you have all these blades and we don’t know what to do with them. And then once you figure out what to do with them, you either burn them in a kiln which is not good for the environment, or they’re going to landfills,” Coffey says.
Their process grinds the old blades into different materials that can be reused. “The lifecycle of a blade can be anywhere from 20 to 30 years. But it’s kind of like a car. Most people, yes, you can drive the car to the end of it’s lifecycle, but it’s not effective and it’s not usually very efficient,” Coffey says.
That’s why they are aiming to make this the new normal for other manufacturers in the future. “We’re recycling them into a product that, on the other side of the equation can be used for concrete and asphalt makers,” Coffey says. They says the material from the blades reduces plastic shrinkage, which is concrete’s inherent ability to start pulling itself apart. It gives the concrete more toughness and textural durability.