Scotland’s first commercial wind farm recycled and reused 99.9% of materials from 26 old turbines, with blades turned into construction polymers | World News

Scotland’s first commercial wind farm has reached a major milestone in dealing with turbine waste after almost three decades of operation. Hagshaw Hill in South Lanarkshire, which began operating in 1995, was decommissioned and repowered with 14 newer turbines after its original 26 turbines were dismantled in 2023. A Mott MacDonald assessment commissioned by ScottishPower Renewables found that 79.5% of materials from the old turbines and associated components were recycled, while another 20.4% were reused, giving a combined recovery rate of 99.9%. The project also found a new use for one of the wind industry’s more difficult waste streams, with all the old turbine blades processed by Northern Ireland-based Plaswire into polymer materials for construction and engineering applications.

Scotland’s first commercial wind farm gets a new life

Hagshaw Hill began generating electricity in 1995 and became Scotland’s first commercial wind farm. Located in South Lanarkshire, the site operated for almost 30 years before its original turbines were dismantled in 2023 as part of a repowering project. The old installation had 26 turbines, while the replacement project uses 14 much larger and more powerful machines. The Scottish Government approved 14 turbines with a maximum tip height of 200 metres and a maximum generating capacity of 84MW. ScottishPower says the repowered project provides more than 79MW of capacity.

99.9% of old materials were recycled or reused

The Mott MacDonald assessment commissioned by ScottishPower Renewables found that 79.5% of materials from the decommissioned turbines were recycled and 20.4% were reused. Together, the figures represent a 99.9% recycling and reuse rate. Reused components include equipment that has been retained for industry training as the wind sector prepares for more turbine decommissioning and repowering projects.The project also relied heavily on local businesses. ScottishPower says the majority of the recycling and reuse supply chain was located within 30 miles of Hagshaw Hill. At least 10 supply-chain companies in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK received contracts connected with the decommissioning work.

Old turbine blades became construction polymers

One of the most notable parts of the project was the treatment of the turbine blades. Unlike metals such as steel, composite blades can be difficult to recycle because they contain layers of materials bonded together. At Hagshaw Hill, all the blades from the original turbines were recycled by Northern Ireland-based Plaswire.The company processed the blade material into its RX Polymer, which can be used in construction and engineering applications. The recycled material can replace products made from virgin plastics, timber and precast concrete. Potential applications include site fencing, marker posts, drainage components and other construction products.Plaswire’s process involves processing composite blade material into smaller pieces before incorporating it into the recycled polymer. This gives the old blades a second industrial use instead of sending them for disposal.

26 turbines replaced by 14 larger machines

The Hagshaw Hill repowering project significantly increased the amount of electricity the site can generate. The original 26 turbines had a combined capacity of about 15.6MW. The new development has 14 turbines and more than 79MW of generating capacity, meaning the site’s capacity has increased roughly fivefold while the number of turbines has almost halved.ScottishPower says the repowered wind farm can generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of around 57,000 homes. The approved development also includes provision for around 20MW of battery energy storage.The repowering means the established wind-farm site can continue generating renewable electricity with newer, more efficient technology rather than relying on the original turbines installed in the 1990s.

A blueprint for future wind-farm repowering

Hagshaw Hill’s transformation comes as older wind farms around Scotland and the wider UK approach the end of their original operating lives. The project demonstrates how decommissioning and repowering can be combined with large-scale material recovery.ScottishPower says around 1GW of its turbines are expected to come down over the next decade, creating a growing need for recycling and reuse solutions for components such as steel, electrical equipment and composite blades. Hagshaw Hill provides an example of how these materials can be redirected into new uses while newer turbines increase renewable-energy generation.The project has also brought greater benefits to nearby communities. ScottishPower says the repowered wind farm will provide nearly £400,000 a year through its community benefit fund to communities including Coalburn, Douglas, Lesmahagow and Rigside & Douglas Water. The fund is around 26 times larger than the one associated with the original wind farm.Hagshaw Hill has therefore gone from Scotland’s first commercial wind farm to an example of how an ageing renewable-energy site can be given a second life, with fewer and more powerful turbines producing substantially more electricity while almost all material from the old installation is recycled or reused.