Akvotransiro Tech, a cleantech startup based in Guwahati, India, has successfully manufactured and tested a four-person catamaran built from discarded wind turbine blades using its proprietary Wind2Water technology, for which a patent is under consideration. The prototype, extensively trialed on Deepor Beel near Guwahati, demonstrated stability, maneuverability and robustness, positioning it as a low-cost, sustainable solution for inland and coastal water transport in developing countries.

With 43 million metric tonnes of turbine blade waste projected globally by 2050, and India alone expected to generate 25,000 30,000 tonnes annually by 2030, Akvotransiro s approach addresses one of renewable energy s most pressing challenges: non-recyclable composite blade disposal. The tip sections of wind blades serve as hulls, while bamboo composites are used for frames and decks, extending the working life of discarded blades by 10 15 years without energy-intensive recycling.

Every wind turbine blade is an environmental disposal headache in the waiting, said 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.

Founded in 2020 and supported by IIT Guwahati s Technology Innovation Hub, Akvotransiro has already pioneered bamboo-composite vessels such as flood-rescue craft, fishing canoes and passenger trimarans. With Wind2Water, the company is now developing 10 12m blade-based catamarans, pontoons and trimarans, as well as 24 36m multipurpose vessels (up to 25 tons displacement). These solutions promise to cut costs for wind energy firms, currently paying up to 18,000 per blade for cement co-processing or 5,000 for landfill disposal, while offering inland water operators vessels at one-third the cost of conventional boats.

The startup is seeking global partners in the wind and maritime sectors to advance to the next stage: scaling full-size 12 38m blade-derived catamarans and floating infrastructure, with the goal of expanding the technology internationally.

Source: www.akvotransiro.co.in/?i=1