Feasibility of Natural Fibre Usage for Wind Turbine Blade Components: A Structural and Environmental Assessment

There are two key areas of development across wind turbine blade lifecycles with the potential to reduce the impact of wind energy generation: (1) deploying lower-impact materials in blade structures and (2) developing low-impact blade recycling solution(s). This work evaluates the feasibility of using natural fibres to replace traditional glass and carbon fibres within state-of-the-art offshore blades. The structural design of blades was performed using Aeroelastic Turbine Optimisation Methods and lifecycle assessment was conducted to evaluate the environmental impact of designs. This enabled the matching of blade designs with preferred waste treatment strategies for the lowest impact across the blade lifecycle. Flax and hemp fibres were the most promising solutions; however, they should be restricted to use in stiffness-driven, bi-axial plies. It was found that flax, hemp, and basalt deployment could reduce Cradle-to-Gate Global Warming Potential (GWP) by around 6%, 7%, and 8%, respectively. Cement kiln co-processing and mechanical recycling strategies were found to significantly reduce Cradle-to-Grave GWP and should be the prioritised strategies for scrap blades. Irrespective of design, carbon fibre production was found to be the largest contributor to the blade GWP. Lower-impact alternatives to current carbon fibre production could therefore provide a significant reduction in wind energy impact and should be a priority for wind decarbonisation.