The REFRESH project, funded by the Horizon Europe program, aims to develop a circular and sustainable value chain for recycling glass fiber-reinforced composite materials from wind turbine blades. The project focuses on mechanical and thermochemical treatment of blades to create new products. REFRESH partners, including Rina Consulting, Acciona, and others, are exhibiting at JEC World to showcase their progress and products made from recycled blade materials.
The project innovations include new cutting, shredding, and sorting technologies, customized recycling processes, and novel blockchain traceability tools. REFRESH partners are presenting their findings, including new products such as panels for building and construction, skis incorporating recycled fibers, and a blade tip display. The project is using life cycle assessment and costing analyses to validate its approach.
The project team comprises 11 partners from six countries, with Rina Consulting as the coordinator. REFRESH is available at Booth D114-3 in Hall 6, and project coordinator Daniel Grisenti will deliver a presentation on the project on Tuesday and Thursday at JEC World. The project started in January 2023 and will last 48 months, with a total budget of €10 million.