On December 8, 2020, GE Renewable Energy announced that it has signed a multi-year agreement with Veolia North America (VNA), a consulting firm that provides solutions to promote sustainability and a circular economy, to recycle blades removed from its onshore turbines in the U.S. during upgrades and repowering efforts, the first program of its kind in the U.S.[1] GE plans to use this agreement to recycle the majority of blades that are replaced during repowering efforts. Once the blades are removed from the turbines, they will be shredded at VNA’s processing plant in Missouri and then used as a replacement for coal, sand, and clay at cement manufacturing facilities. Nearly 90% of the blade material, by weight, will be reused as repurposed material for cement production. More than 65% of the blade weight will replace raw materials and about 28% of the blade weight will provide energy for the chemical reaction that takes place in the kiln. Environmental impact analysis by Quantis U.S. found that the process will make while reducing CO2 emissions from cement production by a net 27%. According to the GE press release, similar recycling processes in Europe have been effective at a commercial scale. GE has committed to reducing the environmental impacts of its products throughout their life cycles. To this end, GE announced a pledge in 2019 to decarbonize its operations and achieve carbon neutrality by the end of 2020.

[1] https://www.ge.com/news/press-releases/ge-renewable-energy-announces-us-blade-recycling-contract-with-veolia