Life Cycle Assessment to Quantify Global Warming and Human Health-Respiratory Impacts of Using Composites from Waste Wind Turbine Blades as Feedstock for Cement Clinker and Fiberglass Production.

ABSTRACT: The wind energy sector is a growing contributor to global electricity generation. The increasing deployment of wind turbines also creates significant waste when turbine materials reach their end-of-life. Glass fiber reinforced polymer composites, which comprise the majority of a wind turbine blade's mass, are difficult to separate into their component parts for recycling. This study employs a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment to evaluate the environmental impacts of utilizing waste wind turbine blade material in cement clinker and fiberglass production. We find that incorporating waste blades as 15% of the feedstock in a cement clinker production plant reduces global warming and human health-respiratory impacts by 9 and 34%, respectively, compared to using virgin materials only. For a f

SUBMITTER: Cameron CV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12529953 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature