Global energy company RWE has achieved a breakthrough in renewable energy with the installation of all recyclable wind turbine blades at its Sofia Offshore Wind Farm in the North Sea.
This is the first time recyclable blades have been installed at scale in the UK, marking a turning point for circular technology in offshore wind projects. The 50 Siemens Gamesa turbines (each with 150 blades), each fitted with three recyclable blades, now stand on Dogger Bank, a shallow area of the North Sea known for its strong and steady winds.
Sofia is among RWE’s biggest offshore wind projects under construction. Each turbine utilizes Siemens Gamesa’s SG 14-222 DD model, which features 354-foot-long (108 meters) blades and a rotor diameter of 222 meters (728 feet).
This massive setup is designed to harness powerful North Sea winds efficiently, helping the UK transition to a more sustainable energy future.
Halfway through full turbine installation
The recyclable blade milestone comes just after RWE crossed another important stage—installing more than half of Sofia’s 100 offshore wind turbines. Situated 121 miles (195 kilometers) off the UK’s east coast, the project has already completed 62 turbines, each rising 827 feet (252 meters) above sea level.
The company stated that construction is progressing on schedule and that the project is expected to commence commercial operations by September 2026.
“These latest construction achievements represent a key moment for RWE and Sofia,” expressed Tobias Keitel, Chief Technical Officer of RWE Offshore Wind, in the press release.
“RWE continues to drive the delivery of one of the UK’s largest offshore wind projects, working collaboratively and safely with our partners to achieve our goals. Sofia remains firmly on track to complete full turbine installation within the first half of next year, with full commercial operations expected in the third quarter of 2026.”
Once operational, the wind farm’s 1.4-gigawatt (GW) capacity will generate enough renewable electricity to power around 1.2 million UK homes.
Circular design for a sustainable future
Siemens Gamesa produced the recyclable blades at its factory in Hull, England. The company developed a special resin that enables the composite materials within each blade to be easily separated at the end of its life cycle.
This innovation enables the reuse of materials for new products, such as car parts, bicycle helmets, and suitcases, rather than sending them to landfills.
This approach supports the shift toward a circular economy, where resources are reused instead of discarded.
Building on past and future innovations
The energy firm has been testing recyclable blade technology for several years. The company first deployed it at the Kaskasi Offshore Wind Farm in Germany, marking the world’s first commercial use of recyclable blades. Following that success, RWE plans to install similar blades at its upcoming Thor Offshore Wind Farm off the Danish coast.
The Sofia project, previously known as Dogger Bank Teesside B, was fully acquired by RWE in 2017 and renamed soon after. It is one of four offshore wind projects approved for the Dogger Bank area in 2015, a zone that is now becoming central to the UK’s offshore wind expansion.
The project’s scale and technology make it one of the most advanced wind farms currently being built in the world. By combining high-capacity turbines with recyclable components, RWE is setting a new standard for environmentally responsible offshore energy projects.
Once completed, the wind farm will not only provide clean power to millions of homes but also serve as a blueprint for how large-scale renewable developments can reduce waste and carbon emissions at every step.