Decommissioning of offshore wind turbines
On March 7th 2024, Port Oostende and Liège Port Authority signed a declaration of intent to increase their cooperation. They will be joining forces for the future decommissioning of offshore wind turbines in the North Sea, when they reach the end of their lifespan.
Belgium counts nearly 1,500 wind turbines, onshore as well as offshore. After 20 to 25 years of service, wind turbines have to be replaced, as the next generation of turbines will be more efficient and powerful. Now is the time to start thinking about the sustainable dismantling of the oldest generation of turbines. Oostende expects to receive approximately 400 decommissioned turbines from 2030 onwards. Once these wind turbines are dismantled, the various materials (steel, copper, aluminium, , concrete,…) will have be directed to the appropriate recyclers.
Port Oostende plays a pioneering role in the circular economy. The circular story is also becoming increasingly important within the blue economy. At the end of their lifespan, the offshore wind turbines will have to be dismantled.
Charlotte Verkeyn, Chairman of Port of Ostend
Together with other ports, knowledge institutions and economic policy actors, Port Oostende is investigating the possibility of playing an active role within the emerging market of the blue economy, and involving their local cluster of circular industry. Port Oostende has the required infrastructure and knowledge to facilitate dismantling projects. The REBO heavy load terminal for instance, is equipped to handle such installations.
It is important to have close consultations, both on a national and international level, on the decommissioning of offshore wind farms. That is why the Port Oostende, in cooperation with institutional and private actors, took the initiative to launch a platform where different skills and expertise are brought together to find synergies. Port Oostende found such a synergy with the Port of Liège. Parts of the dismantled wind turbines canbe transported over water from Oostende to Liège over for proper recycling in the Liège region.
The synergy between Port Oostende and the Liège Port Authority is a fruitful exchange of expertise about onshore and offshore wind farms.
A number of stakeholders in the Port of Liège have already shown interest in welcoming these old wind turbines, with a view to separating the different constituent materials and finding recovery channels. This is therefore an opportunity for our region to profile itself in this recycling sector and a great circular economy project that is interesting for our concession companies
Willy Demeyer, Chairman of the Autonomous Port of Liège
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