Why we're turning wind turbine blades into luggage

Andy Sykes, plant director at Siemens Gamesa in Hull, with one of the recyclable wind turbine blades

A new type of wind turbine blade that can be recycled at the end of its operational life has been developed at the Siemens Gamesa factory in Hull.

The 354ft (108m) blades are made using a type of resin that can be broken down to allow materials to be reused when their life at sea is over.

Andy Sykes, plant director at Siemens Gamesa in Hull, said the new technology will allow valuable glass fibre and carbon fibre components to be used in the future.

"The things that are left behind can be used in car parts, bike helmets and perhaps for making suitcases," he said.

The new blades are being installed at RWE's Sofia Offshore Wind Farm off the Yorkshire coast

Wind turbine blades have an operational life of up to 30 years out at sea, but there are concerns about what happens to them once defunct.

Previously, the industry has not been able to easily recycle wind turbine blades upon decommissioning, resulting in some blades ending up in landfill sites.

Offshore turbine company RWE is the first customer in the UK for the blades being made in Hull, and is fitting them to 50 turbines at its Sofia offshore wind farm, off the Yorkshire coast.

Thomas Michel, RWE's chief operating officer, said deploying recyclable blades at this scale was a "landmark moment" for the firm; and a mark of its commitment to sustainability across its renewables fleet.

Decommissioned wind turbine blades in Wyoming, USA, being bulldozed into a landfill site

The offshore wind industry is continuing to devise ways of disposing of older wind turbine blades that have not been made from recyclable materials.

Mr Sykes, of Siemens Gamesa, said: "We have a factory in Portugal that specialises in the refurbishment of blades and we're also seeing some imaginative uses of the materials - even bridges - being made of old turbine blades."

Dr Claire Barlow, a materials engineering expert at The University of Cambridge, welcomed the innovations from Siemens Gamesa but also said disposing of historical "legacy" turbine blades was a real challenge.

"25 years ago we were just starting on exponentially ramping-up of wind turbine resources... now we have to deal with the consequences," she said.

Newly-constructed recyclable turbine blades awaiting delivery to RWE's wind farm

In a statement RWE said delivery of the blades from the Siemens Gamesa factory to its wind farm was "progressing well".

The project, on Dogger Bank in the North Sea, is designed to deliver 1.4GW of electricity and is expected to open in 2026.

RWE has ordered 150 recyclable blades from the Hull factory.

Andy Sykes of Siemens Gamesa said it was a source of "great pride" for him and the 1300-strong workforce at the site.

"The factory is nine years young and we've continued to grow. We've got the skill and the competency here to produce this fantastic product."

Mr Sykes praised the "pioneering spirit" of the team in Hull. "This is just another thing we can be incredibly proud of," he said.

Turbine delivery vessel Wind Peak, moored alongside the Siemens Gamesa factory in Hull

Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.

Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices.