Recycling Wind Turbine Blades to Build the Circular Economy

In his welcome remarks, Mr. Vermette will first present key statistics on the current and prospective end-of-life management of wind turbine blades in Québec, as the province prepares to see a significant increase in the volume of blades reaching this stage over the coming years. He will then explain the initiative led in 2024 by Cycle Momentum, in collaboration with RECYC-QUÉBEC, to identify innovative technologies around the world capable of increasing circularity in the wind power sector.

Mr. Vermette will then provide an overview of RECYC-QUÉBEC’s ongoing mandate, which serves as an update to the 2022 study, Matériaux de la transition énergétique : État de la situation et pistes de solution (energy transition materials: state of the situation and potential solutions) with a focus on the wind sector, as well as an assessment of the current and future capacity of Québec’s end-of-life wind turbine blade reuse and recycling sector.

Presenting the initiative launched in 2025 aimed at addressing the challenge of recycling wind turbine blades that will reach the end of their lifespan from 2030 onwards.

A wind turbine blade is longer than a ten-storey building is tall, built to withstand decades of wind, and almost impossible to recycle. As Québec’s first wind farms reach the end of their life, an urgent question arises: what do we do with these blades?

This presentation proposes a different answer: see retired blades not as waste, but as a source of materials. Through a mechanical process that uses no chemicals and no combustion, the glass fibre inside the blades is recovered and combined with recycled plastics to create a new material that can be 3D-printed or moulded into new objects.

Two collaborations show how this idea is becoming reality. With the National Research Council Canada, the material was put to the test: standardized mechanical testing, electron microscopy showing how the recovered fibres bond with the plastic, and repeated recycling trials of the same material. With a Québec manufacturer of 3D printing technology, the material is being calibrated for large-format robotic printing, opening the door to furniture, architectural components and other large objects.

Through images, prototypes and results, the presentation shows each stage of the transformation, from blade material to finished product, and explores what Québec needs to move from pilot projects to a true industrial sector.

A blade that once produced clean energy can go on to build the objects around us.

How can the renewable energy sector move from a linear to a circular model? Through concrete examples from Québec and abroad, Boralex shares its approach to responsible resource use, the challenges associated with wind turbine end-of-life management, and the opportunities created by circular economy initiatives. The discussion will highlight how developing sustainable value chains can extend material life, support local communities, and create long-term environmental and economic value.

As the first generation of wind farms in Quebec approaches the end of their useful life, the management of wind turbine blades presents major environmental, technical, and economic challenges. This panel will bring together wind energy developers and government stakeholders to provide an overview of the key issues associated with wind farms decommissioning. The discussions will allow for a better understanding of the main challenges encountered in the field, particularly in terms of logistics, material valorization, and the development of appropriate recycling processes and infrastructures.

Finally, the discussion will address the role of the regulatory and economic levers needed to accelerate the implementation of sustainable solutions. This panel will provide a platform to reflect on the conditions necessary to transform the end-of-life management of wind energy infrastructure from a challenge into an opportunity for value creation, innovation, and economic development.