RWE Installs Offshore Wind Turbine With CO2-Reduced Steel Tower And Recyclable Rotor Blades At Thor Project
BY Composights
Published: 29 Apr 2026
Share :
RWE has installed an offshore wind turbine featuring a CO2-reduced steel tower and recyclable rotor blades at the Thor offshore wind farm in Denmark. The installation is part of the 1.1 GW project currently under construction and marks an early deployment of lower-emission materials at scale.
The turbine uses Siemens Gamesa s GreenerTower, which is produced with steel that delivers at least 63 percent lower CO2 emissions compared to conventional processes. The rotor blades are manufactured using a resin system that allows the composite structure to be separated at end of life, enabling material recovery and reuse in applications such as casting for automotive and consumer goods.
The Thor project will include 72 turbines rated at up to 15 MW each, with installation planned through 2026. Among these, 36 turbines will use CO2-reduced steel towers, while 40 turbines will be equipped with a total of 120 recyclable rotor blades. The project is being delivered in collaboration with Siemens Gamesa.
Sven Uterm hlen, CEO of RWE Offshore Wind, said, Offshore wind already has one of the lowest life cycle carbon footprints of power generation technologies. At RWE, our ambition is to go even further.
Marc Becker, senior VP of Siemens Gamesa Offshore, Thor will feature Siemens RecyclableBlade technology, which has gone from promise to practice.
The use of these materials reflects ongoing efforts to address lifecycle emissions and end-of-life challenges in offshore wind. Rotor blades, typically based on thermoset composites, have limited recycling pathways, making material recovery a key area of development. Lower-emission steel also contributes to reducing the overall carbon footprint of turbine structures.
For the composites industry, the deployment highlights progress toward circular material solutions in large-scale energy applications. Technologies that enable separation and reuse of composite materials are gaining relevance as the volume of decommissioned blades increases.
The Thor offshore wind farm is expected to be fully operational by 2027 and is designed to supply electricity to more than one million Danish households.
