Denmark turns discarded wind turbines into bicycle shelters

To reduce waste and promote recycling, Denmark is transforming unused wind turbines into bicycle shelters.

By 2050, an estimated 40 million tons of residual material from the wind energy industry will need to be disposed of. Denmark, one of the countries that relies most on this type of energy, is already working on alternatives to prevent future waste, focusing on recycling.

The Danish government took the initiative and asked Siemens Gamesa, one of the country’s largest wind turbine manufacturers, to find ways to repurpose the massive fiberglass turbines, which can take up to 25 years to fully decompose in a landfill.

The company then took advantage of the curved shape of the structure to turn the wind turbine into a bicycle shelter.

Even though mass production of these shelters is not planned, Siemens and other companies in the sector are working on improving the materials used in wind turbine manufacturing as well as recycling those that can no longer be used.

Among the ideas being explored are using turbines in the construction of pedestrian walkways, parks, skate ramps, and even as sound barriers in areas with heavy traffic.

Images – Siemens Gamesa. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.