China Launches First Retired Wind Turbine Recycling Project

China has officially launched its first batch retired wind turbine cascade utilization project, marking a significant milestone in the country’s renewable energy sustainability efforts. The project, implemented by China Resource Recycling Group New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. in Jiuquan, Gansu Province, involves the remanufacturing of 25 retired wind turbines that have each served for over 15 years, according to Xinhua News.

A Growing Challenge: China’s Wind Turbine Retirement Wave

China operates the world’s largest wind power installed capacity, but the industry now faces an unprecedented challenge: the first wave of turbine retirements. Wind turbines typically have a design life of about 20 years, and with China’s new energy sector beginning large-scale development around 2004, many early turbines are now reaching retirement age.

Industry projections indicate that by 2030, over 30,000 wind turbine units will reach retirement age in China, with total solid waste exceeding 3 million tons, as CCTV News reported in March 2025. The same report noted that China would face its first wave of wind turbine retirement in 2025, with over 1,800 units expected to retire that year alone, and projected the wind and solar equipment recycling market to exceed 150 billion RMB. Separately, the 21st Century Business Herald has reported estimates of approximately 950,000 tons of solid waste from these retirements, citing calculations by the China National Resources Recycling Association.

The Jiuquan Project: Turning Retired Turbines into Resources

The newly launched project in Jiuquan represents a breakthrough in addressing this challenge. The 25 wind turbines, all from domestic wind farms and having served for over 15 years, showed signs of equipment aging, declining power generation efficiency, and rising maintenance costs, meeting retirement standards.

According to the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC), professional technicians conducted component-level inspections, flaw detection, and evaluation of generators, gearboxes, blades, and towers. They developed a cascade utilization plan and conducted refurbishment tests using self-developed processes including damage repair, performance enhancement, and precision repair of transmission systems.

The results are notable: the remanufactured prototype’s overall performance significantly improved compared to pre-retirement levels, with some core components performing close to current market-level new products. The remanufactured turbines can be adapted for distributed wind power, small self-contained power stations, industrial auxiliary power supply, and other diverse power generation scenarios.

Environmental and Economic Impact

Perhaps the most significant achievement of the project is its dramatic improvement in resource efficiency. Unlike traditional landfill and incineration methods, refined disassembly and high-value utilization increase the comprehensive utilization rate of retired wind turbines from 30% to 70%, while avoiding environmental pollution and land occupation issues.

As Seetao.com noted, the project “abandons traditional rough disposal methods, through refined disassembly and component reuse, eliminates environmental pollution and resource waste from incineration and landfill, increasing the comprehensive utilization rate of retired wind turbines from 30% to 70%, effectively activating the value of existing assets.”

The resource value of retired wind turbines is substantial. A single retired turbine contains approximately 86% steel, 7% glass fiber composite materials, and 7% copper, aluminum, rare earth elements, and lubricating oil. These materials can be converted into important raw materials for manufacturing, described as “green mines” waiting to be mined.

Policy Framework and Industry Development

The project aligns with a growing policy framework supporting retired wind and solar equipment recycling. In August 2023, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and five other departments issued China’s first systematic policy document on retired wind and solar equipment recycling. This was followed by the establishment of China Resource Recycling Group in October 2024 as China’s 98th central state-owned enterprise, with registered capital of 10 billion RMB and shareholders including Sinopec, China Baowu, China Minmetals, and other major central enterprises.

The Jiuquan project is being implemented by a subsidiary of this group, and the company established for this purpose - China Zihuan Xinyuan Recycling Technology (Jiuquan) Co., Ltd. - was registered on February 24, 2026, with registered capital of 60 million RMB, as Daily Economic News reported.

Building a Comprehensive Recycling Network

The project is part of a larger vision. Zihuan New Energy, together with Jiuquan, is building China’s first full-chain wind power recycling and disposal base, covering whole-machine full-category recycling, full-chain disposal, and full-value utilization. The company plans to establish a “central base + sorting center + satellite warehouse” three-level recycling system to integrate industry resources and drive coordinated development of the industrial chain.

As the 21st Century Business Herald reported, the recycling industry faces challenges including unclear disposal responsibility, few specialized recycling enterprises, high costs, and immature business models. However, the Jiuquan project serves as a central state-owned enterprise benchmark that could lead the industry from rough disassembly to high-value remanufacturing, accelerating the green closed-loop development of the full wind power lifecycle.

What’s Next

As China’s wind power industry matures and the retirement wave accelerates, the success of this pilot project could establish a replicable model for the entire industry. Key questions remain: How will the three-level recycling system be expanded beyond Jiuquan? What standards and regulations will be developed for the wind turbine recycling industry? And how will the project scale up to meet the expected retirement of over 30,000 turbines by 2030?

The answers to these questions will determine whether China can successfully transform its wind power retirement challenge into an opportunity for sustainable resource management, setting a precedent for renewable energy economies worldwide.