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https://reneweconomy.com.au/first-of-a-kind-factory-to-mass-produce-wooden-wind-turbine-blades-wins-critical-eu-backing/>
"The world’s first commercial factory to manufacture wooden wind turbine blades
has taken an important step forward this week, after German pioneer Voodin
Blade Technology confirmed it had been awarded €48 million from the European
Union.
Founded in 2021, Voodin Blade Technology makes fully recyclable wind turbine
blades from Nordic spruce, layered and bonded into laminated veneer lumber – a
mostly natural and renewable resource, rather than the traditional mix of
fibreglass, plastics and carbon fibre.
According to Voodin, their laminated veneer lumber blades are significantly
cleaner than traditional blades, producing 78 per cent less CO₂ emissions
compared to fibreglass blades during construction. They are also cheaper and
easier to build, costing 20 per cent less.
The biggest selling point, however, is the fact that these wooden turbine
blades are fully recyclable at the end of their life, as compared to fibreglass
blades which – despite a growing number of methods to recycle or reuse the
materials embedded within the blade – are often found filling up landfills.
This week Voodin announced on LinkedIn that is had been awarded a €48.18
million grant from the European Innovation Fund towards building a
“first-of-a-kind” factory, dubbed VB1F, which will be capable of producing up
to 160 turbine blade sets each year.
VB1F, which is expected to begin operations in 2031, will use
precision-machining guided by a digital model, rather than a the traditional
fixed mould production process.
Voodin says this will allow the factory to make blades of different lengths and
design without the need to retool. It also means replacement blades for old
designs can be readily made when needed – an impossibility with mould-based
designs, which throw away the mould when the design is retired.
Over the first decade of the facility’s operation, it is expected to avoid more
than 2.4 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent and create approximately 450 local
jobs with an all-European supply chain."
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*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
