Living, Innovative Materials for Circular Hierarchically structured, Erosion Resistant Natural Blades

This project addresses the circular design of wind turbines, because while they contribute to the growth of renewable energy, they are also difficult to recycle. In fact, they are often disposed of in landfills or incinerated, contributing to waste and carbon emissions.
Within this project, the IDE team will work towards designing blades that last longer and contain more parts that can be recovered and used in high-quality applications over multiple life-cycles. This project builds on Jelle Joustra’s PhD work, in which he used a research by design approach to investigate how current wind turbines could be repurposed and shed light on the physical and material considerations for future blade designs. As part of project LICHEN-BLADES, the IDE team will consider different bio-based materials, while also insuring implementation by industry through new business models and value chains.
The consortium reflects the holistic approach of this project, and includes partners along the entire wind turbine value chain – such as material suppliers, blade manufacturers, wind farm operators, and end-users of recovered components.