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Original Article • Ambient. soc. 29 • 2026 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4422asoc01591vu29L29OA linkcopy

Open-access Projection of wind turbines waste in Brazil by 2050 and challenges for the circular economy

Proyección de residuos de aerogeneradores en Brasil hasta 2050 y desafíos para la economía circular

AuthorshipSCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

Brazil stands out for its predominantly renewable energy matrix, in which wind power emerges as an essential source, representing the second-largest contribution to the national energy mix. This study evaluated the sustainability and challenges of the circular economy in the Brazilian wind sector by projecting wind turbine waste through 2050. Using a statistical approach, the study analyzed installed capacities, the geographical distribution of wind farms, and the potential for waste generation. The results indicate growth in wind energy generation capacity, with an estimated 6.25 million tons (Mt) of waste by 2050, mainly concentrated in the Northeast region. Although the circular economy is recognized as a strategy to mitigate these impacts, high costs, technological barriers, lack of infrastructure for reverse logistics, and the absence of specific legislation and regulations are obstacles to full circularity. The study highlights the urgent need for effective planning to ensure sustainable waste management in the wind energy sector.

Keywords:
Turbines; wind farms; sustainability; renewable energy; environmental management

Resumo

O Brasil destaca-se por sua matriz energética predominantemente renovável, na qual a energia eólica emerge como uma fonte essencial, representando a segunda maior contribuição na matriz nacional. Este estudo avaliou a sustentabilidade e os desafios da economia circular no setor eólico brasileiro, projetando os resíduos de aerogeradores até 2050. Utilizando uma abordagem estatística, analisou-se as capacidades instaladas, a distribuição geográfica dos parques eólicos e o potencial de geração de resíduos. Os resultados indicam o crescimento na capacidade de geração de energia eólica, com previsão de 6,25 milhões de toneladas (Mt) de resíduos até 2050, principalmente concentrados no Nordeste. Embora a economia circular seja reconhecida como estratégia para mitigar esses impactos, custos elevados, barreiras tecnológicas, falta de infraestrutura dos canais reversos, ausência de legislação e regulamentações específicas são obstáculos para a plena circularidade. O estudo ressalta a necessidade urgente de planejamento eficaz para a gestão sustentável de resíduos no setor eólico.

Palavras-chave:
Turbinas; usinas eólicas; sustentabilidade; energia renovável; gestão ambiental

Resumen

Brasil se destaca por su matriz energética predominantemente renovable, en la cual la energía eólica surge como una fuente esencial, representando la segunda mayor contribución en la matriz nacional. Este estudio evaluó la sostenibilidad y los desafíos de la economía circular en el sector eólico brasileño, proyectando los residuos de aerogeneradores hasta 2050. Utilizando un enfoque estadístico, se analizaron las capacidades instaladas, la distribución geográfica de los parques eólicos y el potencial de generación de residuos. Los resultados indican un crecimiento en la capacidad de generación de energía eólica, con una previsión de 6,25 millones de toneladas (Mt) de residuos hasta 2050, concentrados principalmente en la región Noreste. Aunque la economía circular es reconocida como una estrategia para mitigar estos impactos, los altos costos, las barreras tecnológicas, la falta de infraestructura para los canales reversos y la ausencia de legislación y regulaciones específicas representan obstáculos para una circularidad plena. El estudio destaca la necesidad urgente de una planificación eficaz para la gestión sostenible de residuos en el sector eólico.

Palabras-clave:
Turbinas; plantas eólicas; sostenibilidad; energía renovable; gestión ambiental

Introduction

At the 21st Conference of the Parties, held in Paris, a global commitment was established to face climate change (Depledge et al., 2021). The Paris Agreement aims to limit the increase in the global average temperature to 2 °C above pre-industrial levels, with efforts not to exceed 1.5 °C (ONU, 2015). Based on the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the decarbonization of the energy sector stands out, given its contribution to emissions (Sadai et al., 2022). The optimization of the energy matrix is a global priority, feasible through investments in renewable sources, such as wind energy (Kastanaki; Giannis, 2022).

Latin America promotes large solar and wind projects with a predicted 460% increase in renewable energy production capacity by 2030. In this scenario, Brazil takes the lead as one of the main producers of solar and wind energy (Bauer et al., 2023). In line with this, Kati et al. (2021) state that wind energy emerges as a leader, with projections indicating that it will supply between a quarter and a third of the global electricity demand by 2050.

However, in the wind sector, technological innovation includes externalities, such as new and intensified environmental impacts. The projected climate recovery effects associated with the energy field may result in predicted net emission reductions, or even in increases in GHG emissions due to ineffective waste management. The excessive dependence on foreign knowledge and suppliers represents an additional challenge (IPCC, 2023).

Additionally, the energy transition drives the demand for materials, including copper, lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare earth elements, and the platinum group (Viana, 2025). Success in implementing renewable technologies depends on the reliable supply of these materials (Calderon et al., 2020).

Given this, the application of circular economy (CE) is an essential instrument in energy decarbonization. Integrating CE principles into industrial design and processes can significantly reduce production costs, the demand for virgin materials, GHG emissions, the final volume of waste, and other pollutants. In contrast, it expands the availability of raw materials, enhances the sector’s competitiveness, and provides new market opportunities, income, and jobs (IPCC, 2023; IRENA, 2023).

The structuring of the reverse supply chain (RSC) for renewable energy equipment waste is also fundamental to ensure the distribution of responsibility for recycling. With the postponement of the debate on the subject, stakeholders may face costly challenges from the late organization of reverse flows. As an example, it is predicted that 720,000 tons of wind turbine blades will be directed to landfills in the USA over the next 20 years (Atasu et al., 2021).

Although CE presents the potential to meet raw material demands, it still remains unexplored. Obstacles such as high costs, technological barriers, lack of capacity to implement solutions, and, primarily, limited access to information about CE in the renewable energy industry are the main challenges for the energy transformation (IRENA, 2023).

This study is justified by the lack of specific data and evaluations for the Brazilian scenario, especially regarding the quantification of wind turbine waste and the analysis of challenges for implementing CE principles (Turkmen; Babuna, 2024). Predicting the future volume of wind turbine waste at the end-of-life (EOL) and the recycling potential is complex and involves significant uncertainties (Rathore; Panwar, 2022). Variables such as the definition of EOL, the precise estimation of waste quantities, the geographic location of decommissioning, and knowledge about the actual number of decommissioned wind turbines need to be better understood and projected for effective planning (Karavida; Nõmmik, 2015; Delaney et al., 2023; Majewski et al., 2022).

In this sense, this research seeks to evaluate the sustainability of wind energy expansion in Brazil by projecting wind turbine waste generation until 2050 and analyzing the challenges for implementing circular economy principles in the sector. To this end, the central question guiding this work is how the projection of onshore wind turbine waste generation in Brazil until 2050 relates to the sustainability of the Brazilian wind sector and what the main obstacles are for the implementation of CE in this context.

Materials and Methods

Study Area

Diverging from the global scenario, in which the energy matrix of most countries is still predominantly based on fossil sources, Brazil presents its energy matrix structured on renewable sources (Freire; Fontgalland, 2022; Krell; Sousa, 2020). According to data from the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL) for the year 2024, 84.47% of the national energy generated comes from renewable sources, composed of hydro (54.40%), wind (15.05%), biomass (8.34%), and solar (6.68%), while 15.53% of the energy matrix comes from non-renewable sources, such as natural gas (8.87%), petroleum (3.96%), mineral coal (1.71%), and nuclear (0.99%) (ANEEL, 2024).

In this context, Werner and Lazaro (2023) emphasize that the sharp insertion of renewable energies into the configuration of the Brazilian energy matrix is due to the country’s energy evolution throughout the industrialization process, in parallel with the 2001 energy supply crisis and given the emergence of environmental issues related to climate variability and water scarcity. Concurrently, numerous mechanisms were established in the country to stimulate the transition toward a low-carbon economy (Lazaro; Soares, 2024).

Data Collection

The research conducted a thorough investigation on platforms of the Brazilian Wind Energy Association (ABEEólica), the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL), the National Electric System Operator (ONS), and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). In search of robust, reliable, and updated data, these sources were chosen for their national and international relevance and credibility in data collection and the production of documents on the Brazilian wind sector.

The information most relevant to the topic included data on the sector’s operating capacity, the number of commercial plants licensed or in operation, and the location of these plants in Brazil, available on ANEEL’s SIGA platform. The quantity of wind turbines was obtained through ABEEólica reports, while ONS and IRENA provided complementary information on the context of wind energy in the country.

ABEEólica, founded in 2002, is a non-profit entity that represents the Brazilian wind industry and plays a significant role in disseminating global information about wind energy in Brazil through the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) (ABEEólica, 2024). Meanwhile, IRENA is an intergovernmental agency that serves as the main platform for international cooperation, in addition to providing current data and analysis in the field of renewable energies (IRENA, 2024).

In addition to the data sources selected in this research, ANEEL is a Brazilian regulatory entity whose function is to regulate and supervise the generation, transmission, distribution, and commercialization of electric energy in the country. Its online platform allows for the consultation of relevant statistical data on the generation, transmission, and consumption of electric energy in Brazil.

While the ONS is the entity responsible for the coordination and operation of the National Interconnected System (SIN) in the country. It operates in real-time regarding the stability and security of the system, optimization of the use of energy resources, minimization of the risks of supply interruptions, and promotion of operational efficiency. On the entity’s electronic portal, information on the SIN operation can be found, as well as technical publications, energy planning studies, and operational performance reports.

Both entities are linked to the Ministry of Mines and Energy, which plays the role of supervision and coordination, outlining guidelines and policies for the Brazilian electricity sector. In short, ANEEL and ONS work in synergy to ensure the efficient supply of electric energy in Brazil.

Also, for the production of the results of this work, it was imperative to define specific data regarding the wind turbines for the structuring of the calculations. According to Paulsen and Enevoldsen (2021), commercial plant wind turbines have an average lifespan of 20 to 25 years. However, for this research, a lifespan of 20 years was considered for the wind turbines, as established by the IEC 61400-1 standard, which recommends the minimum time for wind turbine designs (ABNT, 2023). It is noteworthy that this period is considered in calculations, modeling, laboratory tests with prototypes, and mechanical resistance tests in the field (Beauson et al., 2022).

The projection of wind turbine waste generation requires the definition of a representative base model, whose technical characteristics, such as power and weight, allow for the estimation of the amount of waste at the end of its life. As observed at the beginning of the wind sector’s expansion in Brazil, commercial plant wind turbines had, in 2012, powers predominantly between 1.6 MW and 3 MW and heights of around 100 meters (ABEEólica, 2012; CEPEL, 2017).

Given that SIEMENS-GAMESA is among the main manufacturers of large-scale wind turbines in Brazil (ABEEólica, 2021), the characteristics of the manufacturer’s SWT-2.3-93 model, with an average weight of 386 tons and a height of 100 meters, were considered as a reference for the calculation. This choice is justified by its representativeness during the initial consolidation and development period of the Brazilian wind sector, being a model with power and height aligned with the general characteristics of the installed commercial turbines.

Data Analysis

The data used in the research were organized into spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel software, chronologically structuring the number of wind turbines installed in Brazil. For the projection, it was considered that the full weight of the wind turbine structure becomes waste. Furthermore, an average weight of 386 tons per turbine was adopted, as well as the accumulated weight of the wind turbines from the beginning of the wind farms’ operation in 2005 until the year 2030, given that after a 20-year lifespan, such turbines will have already become waste by the year 2050.

Descriptive statistical techniques were applied to order the data, calculate accumulated totals, and analyze the growth trend of waste weight over time (Fisher; Marshall, 2009). To project wind turbine waste generation until 2050, a linear regression was used, based on the strong association observed between the variables ‘year’ (independent variable x) and ‘accumulated waste weight’ (dependent variable y). The equation obtained was:

y = 0,3047 x − 612,29

Where:

  • y represents the accumulated mass of waste in tons;

  • x is the year considered in the projection;

  • 0.3047 is the slope of the line, representing the average annual increase in waste;

  • -612.29$ is the y-intercept (linear coefficient) required to adjust the trend line to the historical data.

The choice of the linear model is justified by the high values of the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) and the coefficient of determination (R²), demonstrating a very strong linear association between the analyzed variables. The coefficient r varies between -1 and 1 and indicates the strength and direction of the linear relationship between two variables, the closer it is to 1 or -1, the stronger this association (Grácio; Oliveira, 2015; Trindade et al., 2001).

A value of r = 1 represents a perfect positive correlation, while r = -1 indicates a perfect negative correlation, whereas r = 0 suggests the absence of a linear relationship (Cargnelutti Filho et al., 2012; Ribeiro et al., 2005). In general, absolute values of r above 0.9 are considered indicative of a strong correlation, which reinforces the validity of using linear regression for analysis and projections (Martins, 2014; Chein, 2019).

Additionally, the visual pattern of the data in the graph revealed a clear linear trend with low residual error, reinforcing the adequacy of the adopted approach. Although alternative statistical models, such as exponential or polynomial, were considered, they showed a poorer fit to the historical data.

Finally, it is important to highlight that the projection refers exclusively to the estimated waste at the end of the wind turbines’ lifespan, waste arising from losses during transport, installation, maintenance, or component replacement was not considered due to the lack of consolidated data on such processes in the Brazilian wind sector.

Results and Discussion

Analysis of the evolution of wind energy generation capacity in Brazil

From the beginning of the exploration of onshore wind resources in Brazil to the present day, wind energy operating capacity has continued to grow. The implementation of the Incentive Program for Alternative Electric Energy Sources (PROINFA) in 2002, along with the auctions held to boost the construction of wind farms in the country, marked the start of this exploration in 2005, with an operating capacity of 22 MW. The following years progressed with modest growth in operating capacity. However, starting in 2010, when the operating capacity reached 928 MW, the growth became more pronounced, as evidenced in Figure 1.

thumbnail of Figure 1
Figure 1
Wind energy operating capacity (MW) in Brazil.

Thus, over time, Brazil has witnessed steady and progressive growth in onshore wind power generation capacity. In 2015, an installed capacity of 8,723 MW was recorded, which doubled to reach 17,747 MW in 2020. In 2024, the country reached a new record, with an onshore wind power capacity of 30,956.55 MW. Assuming that the operating capacity continues to show quadratic growth, projections indicate that by 2029, the national operating capacity could reach 55,455.72 MW, taking into account wind farms currently in the licensing or construction process.

However, it is noteworthy that Brazil is immersed in an intense energy transition process, where wind energy emerges as the second-largest renewable source in the national energy matrix (ANEEL, 2024). Further growth is expected in onshore wind exploration, as well as a significant advancement in the offshore wind sector. It is estimated that offshore wind generation capacity could reach 234,235 MW, representing an important milestone in the diversification and expansion of the Brazilian energy matrix. Jansen et al. (2022) predict that 97% of all global offshore wind capacity will be auctioned by 2030.

Distribution of commercial wind power plants across the national territory

The results indicate that the Northeast region of Brazil stands out with a significant concentration of operating wind farms in the country. Currently, based on the investigation conducted on the ANEEL platform (2024), there are 1,054 wind farms in operation, of which 90.23% are located in the Northeast region, 9.49% are situated in the South region, and only 0.28% operate in the Southeast region. The states that stood out the most in the exploration of wind resources for energy generation were Bahia (331), Rio Grande do Norte (302), Piauí (118), and Ceará (100), all within the Northeast region of Brazil. This can be seen in Figure 2.

thumbnail of Figure 2
Figure 2
Current indicators and projection of the number of onshore wind farms in Brazilian states.

Due to the significant concentration of wind farms in the Northeast region of Brazil, as stated by Lima et al. (2024), this region features the highest wind speeds on a national scale, in addition to having the country’s greatest wind potential (Traldi, 2021). Data from the ONS (2024) corroborate the energy efficiency of the wind farms installed in this area, highlighting a capacity factor (CF) of 39.92% for the year 2023, which is higher than the national average of 39.5%. Compared to world leaders in wind energy, Brazil’s CF (39.5%) surpasses those of the USA (35%), Germany (25%), China (24%), and India (19%) (De Araújo; Willcox, 2018). It is important to emphasize that the CF evaluation considers the availability of the wind resource in relation to the energy generation achieved by the plant during a specific period (Brasil, 2020).

In 2023, Brazil had a record-breaking year, being listed among the top five global markets for new commercial wind power plant installations, a group comprised of China, the USA, Brazil, Germany, and India (GWEC, 2024). With the projection of new wind farms for 2029, a sharp increase in wind power plants in the Northeast region is observed, consolidating it as a major hub for onshore wind power production in Brazil.

However, although it does not stand out in the presented results, the South region also possesses significant onshore wind generation potential, with high wind speeds primarily between May and September (Dos Santos et al., 2024). With the future operation of offshore wind farms in the country, the South region will gain prominence due to the substantial exploration of maritime wind resources, especially in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, which currently has 26 licensing processes for commercial offshore wind plants under review (IBAMA, 2024).

Number of operating wind turbines in Brazil

Based on the survey conducted on the ABEEólica platform, an increasing installation of wind turbines in onshore wind farms in Brazil was identified. In 2018, there were already 7,000 wind turbines in operation in the country. With the expansion of the wind farms, a linear growth trend in the number of wind turbines was observed, as shown in Figure 3. In 2021, the total number of wind turbines reached 8,820 units, and by March 2024, it reached 11,183 operating turbines. This represents a significant growth of 59.76% in the number of wind turbines between 2018 and 2024.

thumbnail of Figure 3
Figure 3
Unit growth in the number of wind turbines in Brazil.

In line with the predominance of wind farms in Northeast Brazil, the largest number of wind turbines is also located in this region. The state of Rio Grande do Norte, despite ranking second in the number of wind farms-just behind Bahia-stands out with the highest number of operating wind turbines, totaling 3,413 units. Consequently, it is the leading state in wind power production, with an operating capacity of 9,963.9 MW. It is also noteworthy that of the 11,183 wind turbines in operation across the country, 10,133 are located in the Northeast region, representing approximately 90.61% of the national total (ABEEólica, 2024), as illustrated in Figure 4.

thumbnail of Figure 4
Figure 4
Quantitative distribution map of wind turbines in Brazil.

Projection of wind turbine waste generation in Brazil until 2050

In Based on the processing and organization of the data, the generated graph showed that the growth in the weight of wind turbines over the years has established a linear trend. Consequently, the function describing the data behavior indicates that approximately 6.25 million tons of onshore wind turbine waste will be generated in Brazil by the year 2050, as presented in Figure 5.

thumbnail of Figure 5
Figure 5
Wind Turbine Weight.

In The results from the wind turbine waste projection in Brazil, when compared to estimates found in existing literature, reveal significant differences in terms of volume, timing, geographic context, and components. The forecast of 6.25 million tons (Mt) of onshore wind turbine waste in Brazil by 2050 is among the highest among the countries evaluated in the research. This value reflects the expansion of the wind energy sector in Brazil, which has established itself as one of the leading producers of renewable energy (Da Silva et al., 2013).

According to Chen et al. (2021), the Guangdong province in China is expected to produce approximately 16 Mt of waste by 2025, covering both onshore and offshore turbines. Conversely, Volk et al. (2021) present more modest projections for onshore waste in Germany, ranging between 325,726 t and 429,525 t of glass fiber-reinforced plastic waste by 2040. Regarding the United Kingdom, Tota-Maharaj and McMahon (2021) highlight a projection of 6.16 Mt of wind turbine waste to be generated between 2035 and 2039, indicating a massive decommissioning phase within a short period, considering both onshore and offshore exploration.

In light of the investigation by Tazi et al. (2019) in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, 1.61 Mt of decommissioned onshore blades were predicted between 2002 and 2016. The approach used by Andersen et al. (2016) indicates that onshore wind power generation in Sweden will result in 270,000 tons of wind turbine waste by 2034. For the global scenario, Papadakis et al. (2010) also evaluated blade waste in onshore and offshore operations, estimating 300,000 decommissioned tons by 2028.

Wind power activities in Denmark, both onshore and offshore, were studied by Abrahamsen et al. (2023), who estimated annual blade waste generation between 2,000 t in 2028 and a peak of 5,000 t in 2045. For Canada, Heng et al. (2021) strictly investigated onshore exploration, resulting in projections of 275,000 tons of decommissioned blades by 2050. Finally, among the publications found, research by Alavi et al. (2024) predicted the generation of approximately 14.3 Mt of onshore wind turbine waste in Australia by the year 2060.

Therefore, the projection of 6.25 Mt of wind turbine waste in Brazil by 2050 raises questions regarding sustainability practices in the renewable energy industry. Among the generated waste, only the components constituting the wind turbine blades represent a significant obstacle to recovery, as the industry still lacks viable technology for the challenging recycling of the structure (Tyurkay et al., 2024).

The other components, which account for approximately 81% to 85% of the total weight of wind turbine waste, such as the tower, gearbox, main shaft, generator, castings, bearings, nacelle parts, and the hub, can be recycled using well-established industrial processes (Xu et al., 2024; Garrett; Ronde, 2012; Gonzalez et al., 2018).

Based on the waste projection results from this study, approximately 5.31 Mt of wind turbine waste will have recycling potential in Brazil by 2050. However, as stated by Gast et al. (2024), wind turbine waste flows are currently far from circular, and they emphasize the scarcity of available data for these activities, which are rarely accessible. Nonetheless, there is a possibility to divert materials from landfills toward recovery, either through recycling or reuse.

Kramer et al. (2024) add that realistic planning of component and material flows is fundamental for structuring reverse supply chains. Furthermore, international coordination mechanisms for technical and industrial standards must be established to minimize wind turbine waste and facilitate technology exchange (Martinez-Marquez et al., 2022). Meanwhile, Vetters et al. (2024) underline the importance of a clear legislative framework, without ambiguity in the assignment of responsibilities, that encompasses adequate management of this waste (Lazaro; Thomaz, 2021). In association with this, Parker (2018) emphasizes that the political aspect is a preponderant factor in the sustainable development of the renewable energy sector.

In the same vein, Tyurkay et al. (2024) point to the lack of data on material composition and uncertainty regarding future decommissioning numbers and waste volumes as major obstacles hindering the circularity and sustainability of wind turbine waste management. They also highlight the uncertainty in the capacity of current technologies to treat wind turbine blade waste, complex decommissioning challenges, the reactivity of stakeholders in assuming responsibilities, and, primarily, the lack of clarity in responsibility assignments.

Given the projected generation of 6.25 Mt of wind turbine waste by 2050, of which 90.61% will be generated in the Northeast region of Brazil, a relevant issue emerges in the wind energy sector. Considering the vast potential for onshore wind generation, coupled with future offshore exploration along the Brazilian coast, the country must prepare for a continuous and progressive generation of industry waste. Therefore, it is imperative that stakeholders, together with the government, assume responsibilities in the planning and operation of reverse flows to promote the circular economy and ensure efficiency in wind turbine waste management.

Conclusions

Considering the decarbonization of the energy sector as a global priority, Brazil presents an energy matrix heavily based on renewable sources, of which currently 84.47% of the national energy generated comes from renewable sources, with wind energy being the second largest source of energy in the national matrix. Thus, the application of CE becomes an essential instrument in the wind sector, as integrating its principles into industrial design and processes can significantly reduce production costs, the demand for virgin materials, GHG emissions, the final volume of waste, and other pollutants.

Based on a descriptive statistical analysis of the investigated data, the generation of about 6.25 Mt of onshore wind turbine waste in Brazil is predicted by 2050, of which 90.61% will be generated in the Northeast region. Approximately 5.31 Mt of this waste will present recyclability potential. However, there are obstacles that hinder circularity and sustainability in the management of wind turbine waste, preventing waste flows from being completely circular.

Thus, the inadequacy of the current infrastructure of reverse channels for wind turbine waste in Brazil stands out, especially due to the absence of specific legislation and regulations for the management of this waste. It is also observed that the stimulus for the expansion of renewable energies in Brazil, given the need for organization and planning of systems capable of promoting waste circularity in the sector, proves to be remiss.

With the structuring of CSR in the sector, the results will not only contribute to the minimization of environmental damages but will also favor the creation of jobs. Furthermore, wind energy is already established as a sector of fundamental importance in energy generation, with a trend of continuous increase in waste generation, a scenario predicted not only in Brazil but worldwide. Therefore, it becomes imperative that stakeholders commit to the structuring of reverse logistics for this waste to avoid the future accumulation of socio-environmental and economic losses.

The results of this research contribute to the literature by providing projections on the quantity of wind turbine waste in Brazil and by highlighting the importance of planning reverse flows in the wind energy sector. As limitations of this study, the use of a single wind turbine model as a reference for all turbines installed in the country may not reflect the actual diversity of technology, materials, and lifespan of the different models existing in Brazil, which may impact the accuracy of the waste estimates.

Additionally, the analysis conducted with onshore wind turbines does not cover the waste generation from future offshore wind farms, which present distinct challenges. The understanding of the obstacles to CE was outlined based on existing information; however, the depth of the analysis is limited by the availability of specific data on RL infrastructure and recycling technologies for complex materials in Brazil, such as wind turbine blades, as well as by the absence of detailed scenarios for public policies and economic incentives.

Future research could explore other methods for projecting wind turbine waste, evaluate recyclable components, and analyze the economic impact of recycling this equipment in Brazil. Thus, this study highlights the urgent need for strategic planning in waste management within the wind sector to ensure long-term sustainability.

Acknowledgments

The present work was carried out with support from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brazil.

References

Edited by

  • Responsible Editor
    Pedro Roberto Jacobi
  • Associate Editor
    Ricardo César Guabiroba

Data availability

The authors state that all data used in this research were publicly available and can be accessed through the following platforms:

the Brazilian Wind Energy Association (ABEEólica)

https://abeeolica.org.br/energia-eolica/dados-abeeolica

the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL)

https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiNGE3NjVmYjAtNDFkZC00MDY4LTliNTItMTVkZTU4NWYzYzFmIiwidCI6IjQwZDZmOWI4LWVjYTctNDZhMi05MmQ0LWVhNGU5YzAxNzBlMSIsImMiOjR9

the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

https://www.irena.org/Publications

Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    06 July 2026
  • Date of issue
    2026

History

  • Received
    09 Jan 2025
  • Accepted
    01 Oct 2025
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