Up to 90 percent of a wind turbine’s mass can be recycled, according to a new Department of Energy report.
The report, released Monday by DOE’s Wind Energy Technologies Office, aims to guide the agency’s $20 million investment into improving the recycling of wind energy materials, including rare earth magnets. It found, however, that a turbine’s foundation and tower are mostly made up of materials the U.S. already recycles — like steel and concrete.
“The U.S. already has the ability to recycle most wind turbine materials, so achieving a fully sustainable domestic wind energy industry is well within reach,” said Jeff Marootian, principal deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, in an announcement.
The report comes as the industry faces headwinds from the incoming Trump administration. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to scrap offshore wind projects and on Tuesday said that wind turbines “litter our country.”
