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CIRCULARITY. The blades come from a wind turbine dismantled during the repowering of the wind farm, which will go from 98 to 13 turbines
ACCIONA Energía and El Ganso have announced today the launch of a new line of sneakers made with recycled blades from a wind farm currently undergoing repowering: Tahivilla in Cádiz (Spain).
The new sneakers stand out for their sustainable nature, as they give a second life to materials from dismantled wind turbine blades, as well as for their design, intended for work environments and daily use. In addition, they incorporate a waterproof and stain-resistant fabric developed by Spanish company Sepiia.
Following the success of the first launch of shoes made using recycled wind turbine blades in 2023, ACCIONA and El Ganso contribute to the circular economy again with this new limited edition, now available for purchase through El Ganso's official website and at its stores.
SECOND LIFE
The shoes were manufactured using a blade dismantled from the Tahivilla wind farm, which ACCIONA Energía is currently repowering. The company is replacing 98 old turbines with 13 modern, more powerful and efficient Nordex turbines, which will optimize the wind farm’s performance and increase its renewable energy output by 72%.
With this initiative, ACCIONA Energía repurposes dismantled wind turbine blades at the end of their useful life into a new product, while advancing the development of blade recycling solutions, one of the main challenges for the wind energy sector as thousands of turbines approach the end of their operational life.
While around 90% of a wind turbine can be recycled through well-established processes, blades –made from complex materials such as resins, fiberglass and/or carbon fiber– require specific solutions. The main challenge lies in developing sustainable and scalable recycling methods at an industrial level.
In recent years, ACCIONA Energía has carried out several pilot projects to reuse materials from recycled blades: from its first sneaker collaboration with El Ganso, to the construction of structural beams for photovoltaic plants, and the launch of a surfboard collection in Australia.
Additionally, the company is developing an industrial-scale wind blade recycling plant in Lumbier (Navarra), to process 6,000 tons per year and convert them into new raw materials for sectors such as automotive and construction.