Spatial analysis of the effects of the dismantling of end-of-life wind turbines in Germany

Abstract

Macroeconomic impacts being linked with construction and use of photovoltaic cells and wind power plants have been emphasized in many studies (e.g., Allan et al., 2020; Graziano et al., 2017; Mattes, 2014). Regarding impacts being related to the end-of-life (EOL) of these technologies, currently most studies focus on waste forecasts or impact analysis of investments and not on employment or changes in value added. (e.g., Costa & Veiga, 2021; Shoeib et al., 2021). Our study aims to contribute to close this research gap.The increased deployment of renewable energy and is linked with rising demand for production inputs such as concrete, steel, and fiberglass that have to be disposed of or recycled. Wind turbines, in particular, consist of several construction elements, which are renewed at certain intervals due to their limited technical service life or due to further technical development (repowering). If these construction elements cannot be reused at other locations, they must be disposed of as waste based on the regulations of the Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act. Still, the aforementioned components of wind turbines can be almost completely recycled. If the volume of wind turbines requiring disposal increases, experts assume that the disposal market will react to this and additional capacities may be made available. In our model, we focus on wind turbines, as many wind power plants will reach their EOL soon, particularly in Germany. After a lifespan of 20-25 years, parts of the wind turbines are currently disposed of either as landfill or are thermically reused in the cement industry, as recycling them in a sustainable manner is an option that is still left to be exploited. In Figure 1 the coverage and dispersion of wind turbines in Germany can be observed. Corresponding to wind power potential, most plants are located in Northern regions. Especially in these regions, the EOL and need for dismantling can create substantial effects for regional employment, which is why we look on these macroeconomic impacts being linked with dismantling of wind power plants