September 1st, 2014
IEA R&D WIND TASK XI
The Operating Agent
To: Members of the Executive Committee, IEA R&D Wind, Task XI
Topical Expert Meeting #77 on
Best Practices for Wind Turbine and Plant End of Life
Dear Colleague,
At the Executive Committee meeting #72 in Beijing it was decided to arrange a Topical Expert
Meeting on “Best Practices for Wind Turbine and Plant End of Life”. SenterNovem – NL Agency
will be the host of this meeting. Venue and date for the meeting is as follows:
Utrecht
The Netherlands
·30th September/1st October
The meeting will begin at 09.15 am on Tuesday and end on Wednesday afternoon.
Please forward an invitation to 2-4 people from your country that will be able to discuss the
subject in detail.
In order to give meeting background and aim, an introductory note is attached to this letter.
Participants in the meeting are requested to give a short and informal presentation of results
from ongoing research/experiences and future plans.
Proceedings from the meeting will be distributed soon after the symposium. To assist in this,
the participants are urged to bring along one copy of the material they want to be included in
the documentation, preferably in digital format.
Details on travel and accommodation can be found below. For further questions about travel
or accommodation you can send an email to energie-innovatie@rvo.nl
In general the local contact is André de Boer (andré.deboer@rvo.nl), +31 88 6022446.
Questions regarding content and the agenda will be answered by myself.
Please inform me and André de Boer of the participants you would like to send to the
symposium.
Best regards,
Felix Avia
E-mail: favia@cener.com - Phone: +34 638095909
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Attachments:
1.
2.
3.
IEA Background and Meeting Format
Introductory Note
Practical arrangements
1. IEA Background and Meeting Format
The objective of IEA RD&D Wind Task 11 is to promote wind turbine technology
through cooperative activities and information exchange on RD&D topics of common
interest. The Topical Expert Meetings and Joint Action Symposia are of the workshop
type, where information is presented and discussed freely in an open manner. See the
following web page for more details:
http://www.ieawind.org/Task_11/Task_11_HomePage.html and click on “General
description and meeting format”.
More information can be obtained from:
IEA RD&D Wind general:
www.ieawind.org
Annex XI information: http://www.ieawind.org/Task_11/task_11_homepage.html
IEA official home page :
http://www.iea.org/
1.1 Meeting format
The meetings are of the workshop type, where information is presented and discussed
in an open manner. The participants decide by themselves what they would like to
present. Guidance for presentations is given in the Introductory Note that is distributed
together with the invitation to the meeting. This implies that there is no list of
presentations in advance.
The meetings will cover two days, starting 09:15 at day one and ending at 14:00 on day
two. Oral presentation is expected from all participants. The allocated time is 15-25
minutes including questions and discussion. However, the time is dependent on the
number of presentations.
The agenda usually covers the following items:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Collecting proposals for presentations.
Introduction, host.
Introduction by Operating Agent, Recognition of Participants.
Presentation of Introductory Note.
Individual presentations.
Discussion.
Summary of meeting.
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1.2 Objectives
A primary goal of the meeting is to give the participants a good overview of the
challenges encountered in EOUWTs. A summary and assessment of issues will be a part
of the finalizing discussion.
As a starting point for the potential participants, a list of topics and issues
encountered on EOUWTs has been given here below.

State of the art. Statistic

Complete Decommissioning of WT

Recycling of Materials

Remanufacturing of WT

Life Extension

Wind Farm Repowering

The lasting impact to land
Presentations should preferably be focused on the general aspects and
combinations of the challenges of offshore wind power, rather than detailed discussion
of specific issues.
1.3 Tentative Programme
1.
Introduction
2.
Previous Experiences
3.
Life Extension
4.
Remanufacturing of WTs
5.
Wind Farms Repowering
6.
Decommissioning of WTs
7.
Recycling materials of WT
8.
Discussion and conclusions
9.
Discussion of an IEA annex
1.4 Intended audience
Participants will typically represent the following type of entities:

Universities and research organizations

Manufacturers of wind turbines
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
Power companies, developers and wind turbine owners

Certification institutes and consultants

Government representatives
Each participant is expected to give a short presentation of their experiences in the
field. The presentations can be on any topic that is in line with this Introductory Note.
Each presentation is allocated 15-20 minutes including questions and discussion.
However, the time is somewhat dependent on the number of presentations that will be
given.
1.5 Outcome of meeting
The outcome of the meeting is a clearer understanding of the critical technical
issues and R&D needs regarding development of EOUWT, the proceedings of the
presentations and a plan for future information exchange / work within this area. Is
there a need for continued information exchange in this area?
(E.g. is there interest in an IEA annex on this topic?)
1.6 Miscellaneous
The presentations can be on any topic that is in line with this Introductory Note. Each
presentation is allocated 15-20 minutes including questions and discussion. However,
the time is dependent on the number of presentations.
Proceedings will be prepared soon after the meeting. To assist in this, the participants
are urged to bring along one copy (preferably in digital format) of the material they
want to be included in the documentation. A summary of the meeting will be written by
the host or persons involved in preparing the Introductory Note.
For presentation purposes a computer and beamer will be available. Please bring your
presentation on a memory stock or CD.
Please refer also to the previous IEA Wind Task 11 Topical Expert Meeting (TEM) on
"Material Recycling and life cycle analysis (LCA) on Wind Turbines", which was hosted
by Riso Wind Energy Department (Dk) on 2002.
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2. Introductory Note
Background
Total wind power installed at the end of 2013 is 318.14 GW. Near 250,000 wind
turbines are connected to the grid [1] and more than 730.000 small wind turbines in
isolated installations [2], making a total of near 1 million wind turbines spinning
around the world.
Wind turbines are typically designed to last for over 20-25 years. A proactive
maintenance regime can maximize the operational lifespan of the wind turbine
generators to a minimum design life of 30 years. Some replacement of parts might be
needed in this period, but the main structure is likely to be in place for at least that
long.
What does happen when wind farms reach end of their productive life? Will the
turbines be left in place or will they be removed? Since 1978 year 7711 wind turbines
have been installed in Denmark. 2621 have been decommissioned at the end of 2013
(Danish Energy Agency 2013).
One of the benefits of wind energy is that a wind turbine can be removed at the end
of its operational life – this is known as decommissioning.
Decommissioning entails: removal of the turbine, tower, cabling, infrastructure, and
foundation to below grade, and site restoration. A wind developer should remove all
the turbines and return the site as closely as practicable to its natural state or prior
use should the wind energy project cease to produce electricity for a specified period
(by agreement with the local planning authority).
The net cost to decommission the project is equal to the cost to perform the
decommissioning tasks above, less the resale value of the equipment, either for reuse
or for scrap. The greatest value of the removed wind turbines would be realized by
selling the wind turbines for reuse. So far, the majority of dismantled wind turbines
have been bought by intermediaries that hope to sell them for re-commissioning in
other countries, usually in Eastern Europe and North Africa.
Total decommissioning costs of the energy facility may not necessarily be offset by the
salvage value of the recovered materials.
Remanufacturing of Wind Turbines constitutes an alternative to manage the end-ofuse (EOU) of a product that has not been previously explored. Remanufacturing is a
well-known end of use strategy which has been successfully implemented in a variety
of industrial sectors .The EOU of renewable energy technologies is still a largely
unexplored area.
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Recycling: Some wind-turbine components are made of materials that are easily
recovered and have a good scrap value - such as steel and cooper, but hard-to-recycle
blades are beginning to cause concern. Whilst the average recyclability across the
components of a modern WT has been calculated to be 80% by mass, the composite
WT blades present a challenge for waste management. The issue is quietly rising up
the agenda in Denmark, where a working group (GenVind) has been set up bringing
together several important players including LM Wind Power, Siemens and Vestas, to
share knowledge about recycling options.
Life extension: It is possible to extend the life of most wind turbines. First and most
obviously, the original manufacturer must still exist, as it would be difficult for any
third party to develop a comprehensive solution that would drive turbines up to 30 or
even 35 years of operational life.
In order to develop cutting-edge solutions, the manufacturers must have all the
appropriate resources which could be the real challenge when you plan to extend the
operational life of 15-year-old turbines. The company must also have an adapted
service strategy and strong operational experience to be able to offer full-scope
maintenance contracts for the next 15 years of operations.
As the wind turbines approach the anticipated end of life, it is expected that
technological advances will economically drive the replacement of existing turbines
with newer models. Wind farms generally persist, with older wind turbines replaced
with more modern, larger and more efficient wind turbines.
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Prior to decommissioning, wind turbine sites can be repowered by removing the
older, often less efficient, models and replacing them with newer, more economic
turbines.
Repowering a wind project can save long-term costs and build upon a reliable asset.
Re-powering of wind turbine systems is a more likely response to end-of-life turbines
than decommissioning, and can include removal and replacement of main turbine
elements, such as the generator, and possibly the blades, or the entire turbine.
References:
1. Global Wind Statistics 2013. Global Wind EnergyCouncili (GWEC)
2. Small Wind Report 2013. World Wind Energy Association (WWEA)
3. Wind farm end of life? Repowering or benign decommissioning. Mike Barnard
in Smart Grid. 2013
4. The complexities of recycling begin to bite. Monthly Wind Power. March 2012
by Erin Gill
5. Remanufacturing: An alternative for End of Use of Wind Turbines. Kathertine
Ortegon, Loring F. Nies and John W. Sutherland. Ecological Sciences and
Engineering, Purdue Univ. USA. International Conference on Life Cycle
Engineering, Berkeley, 2012
6. Wind Power Project Repowering: Financial Feasibility, Decision Drivers and
Supply Chain Effects. NREL/TP -6A20-60535. Dec 2013
7. Wind-Diesel Systems Best Practices Guide. Cap. 14: Decommissioning. Alaska
Centre for Energy and Power.2012
8. Steel solutions in the green economy: Wind turbines. World Steel Association
2012
9. Characterizing End-of-Life Wind Turbine Blade Materials. Justine Beauson,
Jakob Bech Ilsted and Povl Brøndsted. Technical University of Denmark.
Department of Wind Energy. Section for Composites and material mechanics,
ICCM 19 – Montréal 2013
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3. Practical Arrangements
3.1 Date and venue
Location: Utrecht
Utrecht is the beating heart of the Netherlands. A city with an unparalleled vitality. A
medieval city centre small enough to explore on foot. Large enough to enjoy world
class festivals, modern architecture, trendy shops and interesting museums for days on
end. Utrecht has a wealth of culture and history. Utrecht bustles with life. 70.000
students. An extensive number of cultural events. Friendly outdoor cafés and
restaurants. Hospitable hotels. Utrecht has it all.
The meeting will be held nearby the Central Railway Station and the city centre.
3.2 Hotel accommodation
Recommended hotels are:
*Apollo Hotel Utrecht City Centre
Vredenburg 14, Utrecht
http://www.apollohotelsresorts.com/hotels/NL/utrecht/apollo-hotel-utrecht-citycentre/
*NH Utrecht
Jaarbeursplein, 24. 3521AR Utrecht
http://www.nh-hotels.nl/nh/nl/hotels/nederland/utrecht/nh-utrecht.html
If you book a hotel on your own, do not book far away from the city center / central
railway station
3.3 Travel Instructions
By train
Utrecht Central Station forms the hub of the Dutch rail network, and is easily accessible
directly, or with one change of train, from almost every station in the Netherlands. For
instance, there are direct connections from Amsterdam and Schiphol Airport (even at
night), both taking 30 minutes and for about €8 one-way. The high-speed train ICE to
Cologne and Frankfurt stops in Utrecht. For the adventurous traveller, there is a direct
EuroNight [2] train connection to Moscow via Berlin, Warsaw and Minsk.
The train station is located at the western edge of the old city. A 5 minute walk through
the Hoog Catharijne shopping center (follow signs to “Centrum”) will take you from the
station to the city or the bus station.
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By bus
The bus station is located next to the train station. International buses depart from the
western side of the train station ('Jaarbeurszijde'), while the regional and city buses
depart from separate stations on the east side of the train station. The reqional buses
are much slower than the trains. For information about the city buses, check the GVU
website [3], this is the company that provides public transport services in and around
the city of Utrecht. Buses to the smaller towns around Utrecht are run by Veolia [4],
Arriva [5] and Connexxion [6]. Time schedules for train and bus can be found at: [7].
By car
If you are coming in by car, park your car in one of the many parking garages around
the city (follow the signs) and walk from there. Electronic signs display the number of
parking spaces available in any given lot as well as directions to the lot, and if the sign
says Vol it means the lot is full. Expect to pay around € 2,60 per hour at any of the
garages in the center. Parking on the curbside is also possible, but even more
expensive. Expect to pay € 4 to € 5 an hour in advance at the meter. Parking fines are
around € 70 and frequenty enforced, so make sure to get back to your car before the
ticket expires. It’s best to avoid driving into central Utrecht. Instead, leave your car at
the city perimeter and take a bus or tram into the center.
There are 4 transferiums (also called P+R): Westraven, Uithof (open from 1 october
2013), Muziektheater and Papendorp. You can park your car at a flat rate of € 4,50 per
day, including transit to the city center by bus or tram for up to 5 passengers. All of the
transferiums are close to the highway (location information can be found [8]) and open
from early morning to 01:00 at night. Transferium Westraven is on the southern side of
the city, very close to the A12 highway exit number 17. The Nieuwegein-Utrecht tram
line has a stop at this transferium and departs 8 times an hour daytime, 4 times an hour
evening and weekends. Going back you can take a tram bound for either Nieuwegein or
IJsselstijn, the last one departs at about 0.30 AM. Transferium Papendorp is near the
football stadium, and connected to the city center by bus. Frequency of the bus service
is comparable to that of the trams.
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