Switched On The Business of Breathing Life Into Old Wind Turbines
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Oct 16, 2025 Oliver Metcalfe, Head of Wind Research at BloombergNEF, shares insights on the significant challenges facing aging wind turbines as they reach the end of their operational lives. He delves into the economic considerations of life extension versus repowering. The conversation highlights growing turbine sizes, the complexities of dismantling versus refurbishing, and recycling hurdles for old components. Oliver emphasizes the importance of strategic planning for owners and explores the evolving policy landscape that influences repowering decisions, offering a critical look at this crossroads in renewable energy.
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Wave Of Turbines Reaching Retirement
- Most early utility-scale wind turbines were designed for a 20-year lifetime and are now reaching retirement.
- Owners must choose between life extension, repowering, or full decommissioning for these aging assets.
Scale And Geography Of The Retirement Wave
- Over 100 GW of wind capacity will reach end of life in the next five years, concentrated in early adopter markets.
- Spain, Germany, China and parts of the US host the bulk of these retiring fleets.
Assess Components Before Extending Life
- Inspect turbines and components turbine-by-turbine to estimate remaining useful life before choosing extension.
- Replace worn critical parts only if the extra operational years justify the repair cost.