GFRP trailing edge spoilers for rotor blades achieve 6% AEP increase
evoblade and Deutsche Windtechnik study confirms that the retrofittable Evoflap spoiler improves flow, offers load reduction and could potentially extend wind turbine service life.
Grace Nehls
Assistant Editor, CompositesWorld
Orbital Composites to demonstrate containerized 3D printing robots for AM wind blade manufacture
Project aims to demonstrate additive manufacturing of >100-meter-long composite wind blades with >25% reduced cost.
HexPly XF surface materials satisfy high-quality wind blade surface finish
Suitable for prepreg and infusion processes, Hexcel’s HexPly XF reduce shell manufacturing time by up to 2 hours and removes all surface defects prior to painting.
Vestas unveils 15-MW offshore wind turbine with 115.5-meter-long blades
Industry’s largest rotor ups output by 65% versus 9.5 MW turbines, serial production for 2024.
BYK earns additive certification for rotor blade applications
The BYK-C 8001 coupling agent offers 60% improved mechanical strength, design freedom and universal application for glass fiber-reinforced epoxy resin systems.
SABIC LNP COLORCOMP compound enhances PET foam cores for wind turbine blades
Unfilled resin compounds decrease foam cell size and reduce resin uptake by the foam during manufacture for the creation of lighter, longer wind blades.
UMaine awarded $2.8 million to accelerate AM wind blade development
Additive manufacturing with bio-based, 100% recyclable feedstocks reinforced with wood can reduce construction time by six months and cut costs by 25-50%
Novel dry tape for liquid molded composites
MTorres seeks to enable next-gen aircraft and open new markets for composites with low-cost, high-permeability tapes and versatile, high-speed production lines.
Ginger Gardiner
Senior Editor, CompositesWorld
DecomBlades consortium awarded funding for a cross-sector wind turbine blade recycling project
A 10-partner consortium has received funding for a three-year R&D project aiming at commercialization of sustainable techniques for recycling wind blades.
GE to supply 14-MW Haliade-X wind turbines to Dogger Bank Wind Farm
Confirmed as the supplier for all three of the U.K. offshore wind farm’s phases, GE will begin installing its most powerful, 14-MW turbine variants in 2025.
Vestas wins 234 MW order for two U.S. projects
The projects consist of 58 wind turbines, with wind turbine delivery scheduled for the third and fourth quarter of 2021.
GE announces U.S. blade recycling contract with Veolia
Decommissioned composite wind turbine blades will be recycled into cement production to replace raw material needs, while still enabling a net-positive environmental impact.
Siemens Gamesa powers carbon-free future with green hydrogen
The Brande Hydrogen pilot project aims to produce green hydrogen directly from wind energy with no connection to an electricity grid. First test runs are planned for Dec. 2020 and hydrogen production by Jan. 2021.
GE launches Cypress 6.0-164 onshore wind turbine
GE’s most powerful onshore wind turbine available, features two-piece carbon fiber blade for flexible logistic solutions, increases annual energy production by 11%.
Recycling end-of-life composite parts: New methods, markets
From infrastructure solutions to consumer products, Polish recycler Anmet and Netherlands-based researchers are developing new methods for repurposing wind turbine blades and other composite parts.
Hannah Mason
Associate Editor, CompositesWorld
Capital injection enables Fiberline Composite wind sector growth
ABN AMRO’s Energy Transition Fund acquired 34% of Fiberline shares, implements ambitious growth strategy for pultruded wind blades.
EIT InnoEnergy becomes Nabrawind shareholder
The investment in Nabrawind will boost several company projects, including its Nabrajoint modular blade technology.
The markets: Oil and gas (2021)
Composites continue to play a critical role in onshore hydraulic fracturing, and thermoplastic composites are on the rise for deepwater pipelines.
The markets: Renewable energy (2021)
Wind energy continues to dominate in this segment and remains the world’s largest market for glass fiber-reinforced composites.
NREL, Arkema research recyclable, thermoplastic composite wind turbine blades
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory and partners aim to develop more sustainable, longer-lasting turbine blades that are less expensive to manufacture.
U.K. launches initiative for recyclable wind turbine blade technologies
The SusWIND initiative, addressing the recyclability and future development of composite wind turbine blades, will be delivered in three developments.
The markets: Boatbuilding and marine (2021)
Boat sales surge during pandemic, carbon fiber continues to increase with demand for electric power, foiling and performance, while progress is seen for glass fiber composites in ships, 3D printing and recycling.
Ginger Gardiner
Senior Editor, CompositesWorld
Vestas to acquire offshore business in joint venture
Per the agreement, Vestas will acquire Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ shares in the MHI Vestas Offshore Wind (MVOW) joint venture. MHI gets 2.5% in Vestas and a seat on the Vestas board.
Arkema wins Pierre Potier Prize for Elium thermoplastic resin
Following a depolymerization, purification and reformulation process, the resulting Elium thermoplastic resin is said to enable the manufacture of 100% recyclable wind turbine blades.
Arkema's partnership with ZEBRA project commits to circular economy
Arkema’s Elium thermoplastic resins might be key to the project’s goal to design and produce the first 100% recyclable wind turbine blade.
GE finalizes supply contract for Haliade-X 13 MW variant
The Dogger Bank wind farm will comprise of 190 units of the 13 MW Haliade-X wind turbine, due for completion by 2026.
UT receives funding for wind turbine blades recycling technology
The university is developing a large-scale glass fiber composite recycling system as an end-of-life (EoL) solution for wind blades.
GE rolls out first turbine nacelle for 480 MW offshore wind farm
Run by consortium partners EDF Renewables, Enbridge and GE Renewable Energy, the offshore wind farm project will be comprised of 80 wind turbines to be installed by 2022.
