What Role Does Polymeric Technology Play in Burgeoning Wind Industry? PART 1

There has been considerable growth in the wind power industry over the past few years. However, further exponential growth of the industry is required in order to ensure that the net-zero by 2050 pathway (outlined in the Paris Agreement) is successfully reached.

Figure 1 - Maintaining the integrity of wind turbines with polymeric technology — Figure 1 – Maintaining the integrity of wind turbines with polymeric technology

In order to support this seismic growth, polymeric repair and protection technology has an important part to play. Designed to safeguard the integrity of wind turbine blade leading edges for the long term, this technology plays a critical role in supporting this burgeoning industry.

Wind Electricity Generation Needs to Grow Fourfold by 2030

According to the International Energy Association’s (IEA) Wind Electricity Tracking Report (September 2022): “In 2021 wind electricity generation increased by a record 273 TWh (up 17%). This was 55% higher growth than that achieved in 2020 and was the highest among all renewable power technologies.”

While the industry has undoubtedly experienced impressive levels of growth in these years, according to the IEA, wind electricity generation needs to reach four times the record levels set in 2020 by 2030. The Report said: “Our pathway calls for scaling up solar and wind rapidly this decade, reaching annual additions of […] 390 GW of wind by 2030”.

Figure 2 - Wind electricity generation needs to grow fourfold by 2023 - IEA Licence CC BY 4.0 — Figure 2 – Wind electricity generation needs to grow fourfold by 2023 – IEA Licence CC BY 4.0

How is the Scale-Up of the Wind Industry Being Financed?

According to the IEA’s Report: “Policy support remains the principal driver of wind deployment in the majority of the world.” Indeed, over the past few years, several policies have been launched that are designed to drive forward the roll-out of renewables.

For example, in August 2022, the US brought in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) which includes $369 billion (US dollars) of investment, in the European Commission’s Green Deal Industrial Plan, $270 billion (US dollars) was pledged, and since the UK government’s Ten Point Plan was launched in November 2020, over £26 billion of government capital investment has been mobilised.

Safeguarding Expanding Fleets of Wind Turbines with Polymeric Technology

Given the critical role wind power plays in the transition to a net-zero future, as well as the significant amount of capital being invested into the renewables industry, the wind power sector is poised to experience considerable exponential growth in the upcoming decades. In order to support this growth, polymeric technology plays a significant role when it comes to maintaining the operational efficiency of the rapidly expanding fleets of wind turbines.

Polymeric systems such as the rebuild, blade filler material, Belzona 5711 and the cartridge-applied leading edge protection coating, Belzona 5721, are specially designed to repair damaged leading edges and protect them against rain erosion and impact damage for the long term.

In addition to the performance capabilities of these systems, maintenance engineers are investing in this technology due to the simple, in-situ application method and fast cure times the cold-curing systems facilitate. In turn, this helps to keep downtime to a minimum, and allows the turbine to be returned to service in the same day.

Belzona 5711 can be directly overcoated with Belzona 5721 in as little as 30 minutes at 20°C/68°F without the need for any additional surface preparation. At the same temperature, Belzona 5721 will be fully cured within five hours.