In the Algete workshops, north of Madrid, the remains of a \u00a0crushed wind blade\u00a0 await their second life. For years, it captured the wind in a park in Cadiz; today, it is part of an \u00a0experimental concrete slab\u00a0.<\/p>\n
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Spain is finding an unusual way to unite two \u00a0environmental challenges\u00a0: the recycling of thousands of wind blades that accumulate as waste and the urgency of reducing the carbon footprint of concrete, one of the most polluting materials on the planet. <\/p>\n
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From the blades to the ground.<\/strong> Acciona and Holcim have developed<\/a> a new sustainable concrete made from recycled wind turbine blades. The project, named Blade2Build<\/em><\/a>, is part of a European innovation initiative in the \u00a0circular economy\u00a0.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The prototype consists of a slab of more than \u00a0120 square meters\u00a0 built in the Demoparque of the Acciona Technology Center, in Algete (Madrid). As the company explains<\/a>, the composition incorporates materials from wind turbine blades in \u00a0fiber form\u00a0 as a partial replacement for natural aggregates. In other words, crushed blades are used to replace some of the gravel or sand normally used in concrete. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The mix.<\/strong> The base of the new concrete is an \u00a0ecological version\u00a0 developed by Holcim<\/a>, a type of material designed to minimize its environmental impact. In this case, the formula includes \u00a011% recycled components\u00a0, including fibers from crushed wind blades. This technology, known as ECOCycle<\/a>, allows for the reuse of materials that would otherwise end up as waste, without compromising the strength or durability of the product. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A \u00a0low CO\u2082 emission cement\u00a0 is also used, manufactured with less clinker<\/em><\/a> \u2014the substance obtained by heating limestone to more than 1,400 \u00b0C and which is mainly responsible for the emissions of traditional cement. According to Holcim<\/a>, this combination reduces the carbon footprint of the final product by almost half. Additionally, the \u00a0glass fibers\u00a0 and \u00a0resins\u00a0 from the blades act as internal reinforcement, improving the material’s resistance to \u00a0traction\u00a0 and \u00a0fractures\u00a0. The energy that once moved with the wind now settles in the earth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The dilemma of the shovels.<\/strong> In the coming years, thousands of wind blades will stop spinning in Europe. Silent, gigantic, they will remain on dry land after two decades facing the wind. It is estimated that there will be about \u00a014,000\u00a0, an avalanche of materials\u2014fiberglass, carbon, and resins\u2014that will accumulate to between \u00a040,000 and 60,000 tons\u00a0 of waste. They are made to last, not disappear. And that is the great dilemma: their resistance, the same that made them useful, now condemns them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the United States, the consequences of not planning the \u00a0end of the cycle\u00a0 have already been seen: in 2020, an aerial photo of a landfill in Wyoming, taken by Bloomberg<\/a>, showed hundreds of half-buried wind blades. The scene went viral and served as a warning to Europe, which is now working on solutions that allow its materials to be recovered instead of buried.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Does it really work?<\/strong> The first trials are promising. According to Holcim<\/a>, the resulting concrete maintains the necessary structural properties and meets durability standards. The shredded blade fibers not only reinforce the material but also improve its \u00a0flexibility\u00a0 and resistance to fracture.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It is not the only case. The \u00a0University of Burgos\u00a0 has been experimenting for several years with its method, based on the use of TPA (Wind Turbine Blade Grinding), a material obtained by cutting and grinding the blades into tiny fragments. The \u00a0Sustainable Construction Research group (Sucons)\u00a0 has even paved a 50-meter street on the Milanera campus with this type of concrete.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But it is not Acciona’s first project.<\/strong> As part of the #TurbineMade initiative, one of the blades in the \u00a0Tahivilla park\u00a0 in Cadiz was transformed into a limited series of sports shoes manufactured together with the \u00a0El Ganso\u00a0 brand. As explained by the company<\/a>, those recycled soles symbolize their commitment to achieving \u00a0100% sustainable materials\u00a0 in their collections.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The paradox is unique.<\/strong> The same materials that once helped produce clean energy can now be used to reduce emissions from the most polluting industry. If concrete was the material of the 20th century, perhaps the material of the 21st is the one that manages to build without destroying. And in Spain, at least, they have already begun to do so. Shovel by shovel.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Image | FreePik<\/a> and FreePik<\/a><\/p>\n Xataka | Spain has become the first European country to break with gas. The only problem is that the invoice says something else.<\/p>\n