Researchers argue that retired or damaged wind turbine blades could be reurposed into durable sand barriers.
Many wind turbine blades in China are approaching retirement, and researchers have come up with a creative way to reuse the giant components.
In a study published earlier this summer in the journal International Soil and Water Conservation Research, scientists suggest repurposing decommissioned wind turbine blades in sand control measures. Namely, in sand barriers. The approach could be the solution to two problems: dealing with old blades and finding optimal sand control measures.
“Wind turbine blades with high strength and durability can be directly cut and drilled into sand barriers,” the researchers wrote in the paper. “This approach not only addresses the recycling challenges of decommissioned wind turbine blades but also mitigates the shortage of windbreak and sand stabilization materials in the desert and the Gobi areas.”Two birds with one stone
In arid and semiarid regions, wind can wreak havoc on both human and natural landscapes, and sand control measures such as sand barriers aim to decrease the resulting economic losses and protect habitats.
