Indian based startup Akvotransiro has built and trialled a catamaran constructed from end of life (EOL) wind turbine blades.
The company has developed a patent-pending technology it calls Wind2Water to construct the four-person prototype which repurposes the tip section of a wind blade to create the hulls.
The frames and the deck are comprised of bamboo composites.
The technology used is set to offer a direct pathway to converting the mounting waste stream.
The company points out that more than 43 million metric tons of wind blade waste is expected globally by 2050 according to research from Cambridge University, with India alone projected to generate 25,000-30,000 tons annually by 2030.
Highly affordable vessels
“Our patent-pending Wind2Water technology offers a groundbreaking solution by recycling these decommissioned wind turbine blades into slim efficient hydrodynamic fiberglass composite modular hulls, particularly for multi-hull vessels,” said a company spokesperson.
“Our process not only extends the working life of these materials by a decade or more, but will modernise inland and coastal water transport in developing countries across the global south with durable, safe, modern and highly affordable vessels.”
The prototype has been tested on Deepor Beel, near Guwahati, India, with the trials proving the craft is stable, manouverable and robust.
Environmentally conscious water vessels
The four-person prototype is one of several hulls Akvotransiro has under development alongside floating docks and pontoons incorporating bamboo composites and EOL wind blades the company has re-engineered into reliable, environmentally conscious water vessels.
Akvotransiro’s technology also taps into the global ferry and small-vessel market, creating an opportunity from materials that would otherwise be written off as landfill costs.
“Every wind turbine blade is an environmental disposal headache in the waiting,” explained Ravi Jyoti Deka, founder of Akvotransiro.
“We have shown they can be re-engineered into reliable working boats that not only address waste but also provide the water transport solutions that developing countries urgently need.
“This is not a concept note, it’s a working vessel ready to scale.”
