Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 April 2026
165. Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the strategy for the recycling of wind turbines in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27743/26]
View answerWhile relatively few wind turbines have been decommissioned to date, an increase is expected in the coming years as early installations reach the end of their operational life. At present, decommissioning requirements are addressed through site-specific planning conditions.
Wind turbines are currently outside the scope of Directive 2012/19/EU on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE Directive) which provides the framework for the recycling and recovery of material from electronic waste, including the setting of targets to be achieved by Member States. However, it is recognised that a more tailored approach to the management of end-of-life renewable energy technologies is required.
In this context, the WEEE Directive is being reviewed by the European Commission and a legislative proposal, to form part of the forthcoming EU Circular Economy Act, is expected to be published in Q4 this year. I understand this review is expected to consider extending the scope of the WEEE Directive to include wind turbines, with the aim of improving recycling rates and optimising the recovery of strategically and critically important raw materials. The Department will engage proactively to progress this legislative initiative.
In addition, I have provided funding under the Circular Economy Innovation Grants Scheme to support development of innovative approaches to decommissioned wind turbine blades, repurposing them into durable community infrastructure, displacing high-carbon raw materials like steel and concrete and demonstrating the potential of circular best practice.
