As Europe begins to face the challenge of modernising its wind farms, Spain has become a benchmark in implementing the circular economy for wind repowering. With an estimated potential of 15 GW in this segment, the data and specific projects show that the country leads in efficient and sustainable management of its facilities.

“The decision to repower depends on a mix of economic and technological criteria, in which production efficiency and maintenance costs are key factors,” explains Javier Villanueva, CEO of RenerCycle. Thanks to a comprehensive methodology, the company has succeeded in recovering or recycling more than 95% by weight of the components dismantled in its projects.

One of the sector’s most complex challenges is managing the glass fibre from wind turbine blades.

“During 2024 and so far in 2025, we have managed more than 120 tonnes of wind turbine blades from various wind farms in Spain and Portugal, preventing them from being sent to landfill for the first time after three decades of wind energy development,” says the executive in a conversation with Strategic Energy Europe.

This progress has been made possible by technology developed by Waste2Fiber, a project involving RenerCycle, ACCIONA and ACCIONA Energía, which has implemented an innovative, next-generation thermal treatment to recover these materials.

Circular economy in action: the case of the Muel wind farm

One of the most representative cases is the Muel wind farm in Zaragoza, owned by RWE. In this project, 27 Nordtank 600/43 turbines are replaced by just 3 turbines of 6.6 MW each, significantly reducing the visual impact while increasing installed capacity.

This process will allow the refurbishment of 1,350 components for use in other wind farms and the recovery of 1,825 tonnes of ferrous material, achieving a recycling rate of over 95% by total project weight.

“This is a clear example of how repowering can help reduce waste and make the most of existing resources,” Villanueva highlights.

Operational and regulatory challenges of repowering

In addition to technological challenges, repowering involves significant logistical hurdles.

“These projects must be completed within very tight deadlines and with precise planning to achieve maximum efficiency,” warns the CEO of Renercycle.

The company offers a comprehensive service, from the technical and economic analysis of the project to the mechanical dismantling works, transport of components and materials to different recovery and recycling facilities, as well as the refurbishment and subsequent commercialisation of the components for a second life as spare parts.

Based on its experience, the company identifies that, at a regulatory level, the lack of incentives and the complexity of permitting processes also hinder the expansion of these initiatives.

“From our point of view, the authorities should replace the obligation to repower with concrete incentives that promote business cases, direct support and streamlined permitting processes,” suggests Villanueva.

In this sense, argues that creating fast-track channels for repowering could facilitate the commissioning of new, more efficient facilities with a lower environmental footprint on already affected sites.

Projections and international expansion

With the commissioning this year of the blade recycling plant in Lumbier (Navarra) by Waste2Fiber, Renercycle expects to further consolidate its market position.

Its work has already enabled the recovery of components from repowering projects in southern Spain, which have been refurbished for use as spare parts in other wind farms in Spain and Asia.

Regarding operational challenges, the company notes that it is crucial to have partners and suppliers capable of managing the various components removed, as well as equipping itself with the necessary internal tools to achieve the highest levels of efficiency and quality.

In fact, RenerCycle is the first company globally to obtain ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 certifications with the specific scope of dismantling, recovering and recycling wind farms.

“Our plan is to strengthen our position in the domestic market and progress with international expansion towards countries such as Portugal and France. In addition, we are working to extend our business model to the Asian market, where we have already signed strategic cooperation agreements,” Villanueva anticipates.

The long-term goal is to achieve ZeroWaste in wind repowering and make this practice an exportable model for other markets.