Vestas, a Danish manufacturer, seller, installer and servicer of wind turbines, intends to produce zero-waste wind turbines by 2040, reinforcing their commitment to sustainability.
Vestas says it is the first turbine manufacturer to make such a commitment. Zero-waste means running a value chain that generates no waste materials. This will be achieved by developing and implementing a new waste-management strategy and introducing a circular economy approach in the different phases of the value chain.
The strategy will be presented within the next two years.
“Establishing such an ambitious goal for waste reduction is paramount to ensuring a better world for future generations,” says Anders Vedel, executive vice president of Vestas Power Solutions. “Leading the wind industry is not enough to combat the global challenges we face today. If we are to spearhead the energy transition, we must be an example for doing so in the most sustainable way, and this involves making sustainability part of everything we do”.
An estimated 11.2 billion tons of solid waste is collected every year, posing a risk to resource depletion, air pollution, and water and soil contamination. Waste generated from turbine blades is estimated to be around 43 million tons by 2052.
With the global wind energy market set to grow by an average of 3% per year in the coming decade, Vestas is mitigating its environmental impact as the market leader by committing to eliminate waste across its value chain, says the company.
Photo: A Vestas wind project in Denmark
