Recycling Pathways and Carbon Benefit Reconfiguration of Decommissioned Wind Turbine Blades
Under the dual-carbon strategic goal, China's wind power installed capacity continues to grow rapidly, making the low-carbon recycling of decommissioned wind turbine blades increasingly prominent. This study systematically reviews material recovery pathways, policy support systems, and life-cycle carbon benefits of decommissioned blades. It first analyzes regional distribution and unit characteristics of wind power installations, identifying differentiated challenges in dismantling, transportation, and reuse across regions. Subsequently, it compares mechanical/physical, pyrolysis, chemical, and combined recycling technologies. Results show that mechanical/physical methods are low-cost but yield fiber retention rates of only 10%–78%; pyrolysis has reached industrial scale but exhibits high carbon emission intensity; chemical methods achieve higher fiber retention (55%–96%) with potential carbon reduction advantages; combined methods overcome single-technology limitations, achieving fiber retention exceeding 95%, demonstrating potential for high-value utilization and low-carbonization. At the policy level, China has proposed a two-stage target: initially establishing a blade recycling responsibility mechanism by 2025 and forming industrial clusters by 2030, with gradual improvements in standards and incentives. Life-cycle assessment indicates that wind power has slightly higher global warming potential (GWP) than photovoltaics, but its emissions are mainly concentrated in component manufacturing; if efficient recycling is achieved, wind power could surpass photovoltaics in full life-cycle carbon benefits. In summary, promoting efficient recycling and policy coordination for decommissioned wind turbine blades can achieve dual benefits of resource recycling and carbon reduction, providing strong support for reconstructing a sustainable renewable energy development paradigm.