Abstract:
The global installed capacity of wind power continues to rise, and while the wind energy industry is experiencing rapid development, early-installed wind turbine blades are now entering a peak phase of decommissioning. These blades are primarily made of composite materials such as glass fiber, carbon fiber, and resin. Traditional disposal methods, mainly landfilling or incineration, not only occupy land resources but also release harmful gases, causing secondary pollution and failing to meet the requirements of green and low-carbon development. How to efficiently, economically, and environmentally recycle the reinforced fibers and resin components from decommissioned blades and convert them into reusable resources has become a critical challenge limiting the sustainable development of the wind energy industry. Accelerating breakthroughs in green recycling technologies and establishing a circular utilization system are of great significance for achieving a low-carbon closed-loop lifecycle for wind power and supporting the “dual carbon” goals. This paper systematically reviews the latest research progress in recycling technologies for decommissioned wind turbine blades. It begins by analyzing the structural characteristics and material composition of blades, elucidating the intrinsic reasons for their poor recyclability. Based on this, existing recycling technologies are categorized into three main groups: mechanical recycling, pyrolysis recycling, and chemical recycling, with a focus on the current research status of chemical recycling methods such as solvolysis, catalytic degradation, and supercritical fluid technology. Unlike existing reviews, this paper provides a parallel comparative analysis of each technology across three dimensions: technological maturity, economic viability, and environmental impact, thereby revealing the core contradiction between technical feasibility and economic sustainability. Finally, future research directions are proposed, emphasizing the development of mild, efficient, and low-cost chemical recycling technologies, the achievement of full-component high-value utilization of resins and fibers, and the construction of an integrated blade design-recycling system based on the circular economy concept. This paper aims to provide a multi-criteria decision-making reference for the selection and optimization of recycling technologies for decommissioned wind turbine blades.