Around 1,600 wind turbines are expected to be decommissioned annually in Germany after 2026. To reduce the amount of material going to landfills and minimise energy use, improving the circularity of decommissioned and new wind turbines is essential. However, there is currently limited understanding regarding wind turbine circularity and end-of-life component utilisation. To address this, this study examines the material flows of three 2-megawatt (MW) turbines in Germany and estimates their circularity using the Circularity Index proposed by Cullen (2017). This study finds low circularity in wind turbine material flows and suggests opportunities for improving resource management for a circular economy transition via enhanced component reuse and recycling. The authors also discuss options for using the Circularity Index and visualisations to monitor and enhance the circularity of renewable energy technologies and to identify opportunities for better resource management.

中文翻译：

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评估陆上风力涡轮机的循环性：利用物质流分析改进报废资源管理

预计 2026 年之后，德国每年将退役约 1,600 台风力涡轮机。为了减少进入垃圾填埋场的材料数量并最大限度地减少能源使用，提高退役和新风力涡轮机的循环利用至关重要。然而，目前对风力涡轮机循环性和报废部件利用的了解有限。为了解决这个问题，本研究检查了德国三台 2 兆瓦 (MW) 涡轮机的物质流，并使用 Cullen (2017) 提出的循环指数估算其循环度。这项研究发现风力涡轮机材料流的循环性较低，并提出了通过加强部件再利用和回收来改善资源管理以实现循环经济转型的机会。作者还讨论了使用循环指数和可视化来监测和增强可再生能源技术的循环性并确定更好的资源管理机会的选项。