Following a year of development, manufacturer LM Wind Power has now produced a prototype.
Produced at LM Wind Power’s Spanish facility in Ponferrada, the 62-metre blade is the world’s largest made from thermoplastic.
A collaborative effort of multiple organisations, the blade was designed and produced under the banner of LM’s zero waste blade research team, Zebra.
Made of a resin called Elium, produced by a company called Arkema, and top of the line glass fabrics from Owens Corning, the blade reportedly delivers performance similar to that of thermoset resins.
Through a process called chemical recycling, the resin and glass can be recovered, ready for use in another blade or other applications.
The companies involved have also looked to further boost the eco-friendly credentials of the blade, by automating the manufacturing process to reduce energy consumption and material waste.
LM Wind Power are now putting the blade to the test at their test centre in Denmark, with the methods used to recycle the blade set to go through the validation process by the end of next year.
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