WindLEDeRR project : supporting end-of-life decision making for wind farms

The WindLEDeRR project - Wind Lifetime Extension, Decommissioning, Repowering, Repurposing - will develop a comprehensive decision-making tool for end-of-life wind turbines in Ireland through life assessment for the critical components of wind turbines including foundation,  tower and blades.

Novel approaches will be developed for anomaly detection and fatigue assessment of the tower structure through smart advanced identification methods. In addition, a new methodology will be developed for predicting the remaining fatigue life and residual strength of wind turbines’ blades periodically until their end of life. A lifecycle assessment of foundations will be developed which will provide a set of recommendations outlining options for the foundation to include remaining operational life. Furthermore, a range of energetic, environmental, social and economic factors will be considered in order to arrive at optimal solutions for sustainable decommissioning of end-of-life wind turbines in Ireland. Finally, a new protocol will be developed for repurposing decommissioned blades for specific purposes. 

WindLEDeRR has been funded by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. WindLEDeRR partners and collaborators: Trinity College Dublin, University of Galway, University College Cork, Munster Technological University, Gavin & Doherty Geosolutions , Bord na Mona and Eirecomposites.