The renewable energy sectors, including solar and battery storage, face similar end-of-life challenges, necessitating effective waste management strategies.

Currently, around 80% of retired solar panels are exported, primarily to developing countries, while many non-exported panels end up in landfills or are left unused in storage.

As the wind farm prepares for decommissioning, Pacific Blue, its owner, plans to explore recycling options for the infrastructure.

The Codrington Wind Farm in Victoria, Australia, is set to close in 2027, marking a significant milestone as the first commercial wind farm in the country to reach the end of its operational life.

Opened in 2001, Codrington consists of 14 turbines and provides power for 10,000 homes while saving approximately 49,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually.

The Clean Energy Council projects that by 2034, Australia will generate 15,000 tonnes of blade composite waste, with no clear recycling pathway established.

In response to these challenges, ACCIONA is seeking partners in Australia to innovate recycling processes for decommissioned wind turbine blades, aiming to produce fully recyclable blades by 2032.

Australia is facing a looming crisis with solar panel waste, with over 4 million panels retired annually, a number projected to rise to 145 million by 2045 without adequate recycling measures.

While between 85% and 94% of a wind turbine's mass, primarily steel and aluminum, is recyclable, the blades made from fibreglass and carbon fibre composites pose significant challenges for recycling.

The Smart Energy Council advocates for government reforms to mandate solar panel recycling, highlighting the potential value of materials like silver in decommissioned panels, estimated to be worth approximately $3 billion.

Dr. Nicholas Aberle from the Clean Energy Council emphasized that the recycling issue is not unique to wind turbines, as similar composite materials are used in other industries, including shipbuilding.