Wind Turbine Waste and Rare Earth Supply Chain Concerns
What happened
Jeremy Grantham is funding climate institutes in the United Kingdom. Separately, China is supplying rare earths used in turbines for Europe. Reports note that fiberglass wind turbine blades are clogging landfills, such as in Casper, Wyoming, where 870 decommissioned blades are stored. A 2-megawatt turbine requires 800 pounds of neodymium and 130 pounds of dysprosium.
From naturalnews.com
Why it matters
The transition to wind energy faces physical hurdles in recycling turbine blades, which are currently being disposed of in landfills. Furthermore, the production of modern turbines relies heavily on rare earth minerals, creating supply chain dependencies for Europe.
From naturalnews.com
Who's involved
- ChinaMines and supplies rare earths used in turbines for Europe.
- EuropeUses rare earths for turbines and grapples with blade disposal.
- CasperHosts a landfill for decommissioned wind turbine blades.
- VermontIs studying turbine bat fatalities.
- Andy BurnhamIs mentioned in relation to climate advocacy funding.
Who could feel it
Possible knock-on effectsThese are possibilities Brind reasoned out, not predictions, and not advice. Most are not stated in any report.
- CasperSpeculative
Casper might face direct operational cost increases due to wind turbine blade disposal fees.
- VermontSpeculative
Vermont could face increased operational costs or restrictions for wind projects due to environmental externalities like bat deaths.
- EuropeSpeculative
Europe may face increased supply chain risk and regulatory pressure due to reliance on foreign rare earths and waste management.