VATTENFALL
Making skis from old wind turbine blades

In a wooden barn atop a mountain in Lønset, one of Norway's largest alpine areas, Endre Hals holds a handful of black carbon fibre strands. For 25 years, this kind of fibres were crucial to the stability of wind turbine blades that captured strong winds at the Irene Vorrink wind farm in the Netherlands. Soon, they will ensure the stability of a pair of highly coveted touring skis.

Evi Ski was founded 15 years ago by industrial designer Endre Hals. Back in 2003, he drew inspiration for his very first ski project ( Katana') from Japanese sword makers. 

"They represented the complete opposite of what we were taught in school at the time, where everything was supposed to be fast and cheap to produce", he tells. 

Instead, Endre wanted to create a ski that wouldn't need to be thrown away when it was worn out or damaged. With a carefully designed construction, damaged sections can be replaced and reinforced with new material, making the skis as good as new. If the added material happens to be recycled, the process becomes even more circular.

Recycling 

Composite recycling company Gjenkraft lies about 400 kilometres southwest of Lønset, in a valley near the Sognefjord. Gjenkraft reached out to Endre Hals, who was well known for his innovative ski production, before the company even opened its doors in 2021.  

Gjenkraft has developed a method to recycle a range of materials, including the complex composite structures found in wind turbine blades. Most of the blades that were installed 20-25 years ago are now approaching the end of their lifecycle.

"Our solution focuses on recycling composites to extract valuable materials, like glass and carbon fibre, from decommissioned wind turbine blades", explains Marcin Rusin, co-owner of Gjenkraft. 

These high-quality materials can replace virgin raw materials in the production of new, high-end products. This creates a circular system and reduces the environmental impact of the composite industry.

"We collaborate with visionary partners like Endre from Evi Ski to showcase the potential of recycled materials", Marcin continues.

"In the long run, we aim to close the material loop and make circular recycling the standard within the composite industry."

From Skies to Skis

In his workshop in the hillside barn, Endre Hals carefully applies the long black carbon fibre strands onto a ski's wooden core. 

"This might be the best use we can find for these fibres", he says.

In a perfect circular process, carbon fibre could be recycled without losing strength, flexibility or performance. But in reality, the fibres often degrade or shorten during the process, which can result in some material loss or reduced quality. This is why it's ideal to use fibres for as long as we can, to preserve their properties for as long as possible.

"We want to use these long fibres from wind turbine blades to create something else that's long like skis. And after that, we can use them for something shorter. Maybe a telescopic stand", says Endre, pointing at the photographer. 

Ski production is just one of many promising opportunities for recycling carbon fibre composites from wind turbine blades. Vattenfall is also involved in projects to construct cabins and parking facilities using parts from decommissioned wind turbines. Gustav Frid, Senior Environment & Sustainability specialist at Vattenfall, explains: 

"Even though several recycling solutions are approaching industrialisation, we need these innovative examples to show what's actually possible. There's enormous potential for creativity and new applications for the composite materials found primarily in blades, but also in other parts of a wind turbine."

"Our goal is to identify circular solutions that serve a practical purpose in society. It's about optimising material use. By extending the lifespan of a wind turbine or reusing a component in a new application, we can extract more value and reduce the environmental impact of materials."