Eneco supports circular installation at Dutch Design Week
In the week of 22-30 October, the circular installation 'from wind to street furniture' can be seen at the Dutch Design Week (DDW). Eneco supports this installation created by the start-up Blade Made with a financial contribution. Blade Made has set itself the goal of finding new destinations for wind turbine blades by using them as intact as possible in new designs in the urban landscape and infrastructure.
In an area of 50m², two old land wind turbine blades have been repurposed as a Blade Bench (meeting and relaxation place), a Boulder Blade (bouldering activity) and a Blade Barrier section (sustainable noise barrier). Information on the One Planet Plan and circularity is provided at the installations. The outdoor installation will be located on Ketelhuisplein square in Eindhoven, the central location of DDW in front of the Klokgebouw building. The Ketelhuisplein is freely accessible for everyone. At the end of DDW, each of the separate elements of the installation will get new destinations.
Circular in 2050
In its One Planet Plan, Eneco states that by 2050 it will be a circular company. This ambition is in line with the Dutch government programme that aims for the economy of the Netherlands to be fully circular by 2050. This means that by 2050, the Netherlands will have a waste-free economy that will be running on sustainable and renewable materials where possible and in which products and raw materials are being reused.
In the case of wind farms, the first step is to investigate whether a wind turbine can still be sold in order to extend its lifespan. If that is not an option, important parts are reused. However, turbine blades are still a challenge at the moment because of the composites that the blades are made of. Even so, developments are taking place in this area that are also being implemented by Eneco, of which Landtong Rozenburg is a recent example. The installation at the Dutch Design Week is an illustration of how to look at the form and function of wind turbine blades from a different perspective while retaining the added value by repurposing. This solution path leads to lower CO2 emissions than recycling and the life of the blade is extended.
Dutch Design Week
At the Dutch Design Week, young and established artists use creative ways to express their ideas on matters such as furniture, construction, cities, food, health care, energy saving and social interaction. For many years now, sustainability has been the central theme for these designers during this week. There is a high level of concern about the climate, biodiversity and material use (including circularity), for which various solutions are being proposed during DDW.