Wind turbine blade production – new products keep pace as scale increases

The wind energy industry is one of the fastest-growing consumers of fibre reinforced plastics in the world. Production challenges are compounded as the scale of wind turbines continues to climb. Blades, among the most complex parts to mould, now exceed 80 m in length and are getting longer. Freelance journalist Richard Stewart reports on new products and processes developed to meet the needs of utility-scale blade producers.