A total of 139 generators, representing 417 blades and more than 800 tonnes of waste from the Isabela and Molar de Molinar wind farms in Albacete, will be transformed at the EnergyLoop facility in the Navarre town of Cortes. On the other hand, the civil works for this facility have recently been completed, so its managers estimate that this recycling plant could be operational in the first few months of the new year. In the meantime, it already has all the necessary permits and infrastructures in place to receive and store the blades for recycling.
EnergyLoop is a company created in 2022 by FCC Ámbito (a subsidiary of FCC Servicios Medio Ambiente, specialising in integrated waste management) and Iberdrola Ventures Perseo, through its Venture Builder programme for the development of new innovative and sustainable businesses. Its main objective is to build a pioneering facility for the industrial recycling of wind turbine blades, leading this field in Spain and Portugal.
In this sense, its plant located in Cortes, completely innovative in its sector, represents a significant advance in the ecological transition and in the business competitiveness of Navarre. These aspects are strategic pillars in the double transformation that the region is carrying out through its Sustainable Strategy for Smart Specialisation (S4). The promotion of projects such as this one positions Navarre as a benchmark in the incorporation of the circular economy into sustainable transformation processes.
Since its inception, the project has been supported by the Government of Navarre, through the public company Sodena, which has contributed with advice and support in all phases until its start-up.
The new industrial complex will be specifically dedicated to the recycling of wind turbine blades and will be located on land owned by EnergyLoop, within the industrial estate developed by the public company Nasuvinsa in the municipality of Cortes, approximately 120 kilometres southeast of Pamplona. These blades, made mainly of composites (glass fibres, carbon and resins), will be treated to convert the waste into recovered materials. These can be used as secondary raw materials in sectors as diverse as energy, aerospace, automobiles, textiles, chemicals and construction.
For its part, the Iberdrola Group has already set itself the target of recycling 50% of dismantled wind turbine and solar panel blades by 2025 and 100% by 2030, as part of its commitment to the efficient use of resources and within its Circular Economy Plan, which implies a cultural change in the way of understanding the production and consumption system to address the lack of resources, the environmental impact, the creation of value and employment.
THE RENEWABLE ECOSYSTEM OF NAVARRA
Navarre is a pioneer and European benchmark in the production of renewable energies, with a historic technological and industrial commitment that has driven the development of new global standards in wind energy.
This sector is the third most important in the region, after the automotive and agri-food industries, and has a solid industrial network made up of more than 110 companies, which represent 10% of industrial employment and generate a turnover of 4,500 million euros, equivalent to 5% of the region’s GDP. It is also the second largest export sector in Navarre, mainly in the manufacture of wind turbines and their components.
The existing dense industrial fabric covers all links in the value chain, including a large renewable energy operator, Acciona Energía, and two large OEMs: Siemens Gamesa and Nordex-Acciona Windpower. There is also a group of SMEs that provide high added value in specific components such as blades, control systems, bearings and gearboxes. All those interested in further information on the renewable energy ecosystem in the region can do so by clicking on this link.
Source: diariodenavarra.es