How long does a wind turbine last, and what happens afterward?

How long does a wind turbine last? On average, 20 to 25 years—that’s its design life. With proper maintenance, modern turbines often continue to operate for as long as 25 to 30 years in practice. If you hear a figure like 15 years, it usually refers to the financial depreciation period or subsidy period, not the technical lifespan.

Then comes the real question: what do you do with a steel tower that’s dozens of meters tall, weighs hundreds of metric tons, and is full of metal parts? The answer, for the most part, is: recycle it. That’s exactly what Krommenhoek Metals has been doing since 1925.

More about average lifespan

Manufacturers design wind turbines to last 20 to 25 years. In practice, many turbines easily exceed that limit and continue to operate for years after inspection. Others fail sooner due to mechanical wear, severe weather conditions, or simply because they can no longer function. A turbine is therefore not “worn out” simply because it has reached a certain age.

At sea, conditions are harsher: salt water, corrosion, higher wind loads, and difficult access. Still, an offshore turbine does not necessarily have a shorter lifespan, because it is designed for those conditions. The fact that offshore turbines are sometimes replaced after just 15 years is mainly because newer models generate so much more electricity that it is no longer cost-effective to keep the old ones running.

Technical wear and tear is different from depreciation

Online, three terms are often used interchangeably. Technical lifespan refers to how long a turbine operates safely and reliably. Financial depreciation is an accounting period, often 15 years. And the economic lifespan is how long it pays to keep the turbine running, depending on the price of electricity, maintenance costs, and what a new turbine would generate. A fully depreciated wind turbine can therefore technically last for years to come. It’s that simple.

Which parts wear out the fastest?

Not every part of a wind turbine lasts the same amount of time. Some components need to be replaced before the turbine’s expected lifespan ends, while the steel tower often remains standing for decades. The timeframes listed below are approximate and vary by manufacturer, location, and load:

Bearings and gearboxes. Subject to constant mechanical stress; sometimes they need to be replaced after just 10 years.
Rotor blades. Fatigue damage, UV radiation, and impacts cause significant wear and tear.
Generators and electrical components. Sensitive to heat and voltage; average lifespan of 15 to 20 years.
Brakes and hydraulic systems. They get a lot of use, so they need to be serviced sooner.
The steel tower. Usually the most durable part: with proper maintenance, it can easily last 30 years or more.

So just because a gearbox or generator needs to be replaced doesn't mean the entire wind turbine is at the end of its life.

After 25 Years: Extend, Repower, or Demolish

A technical inspection is conducted at the end of the design life. Based on that inspection, there are three possible outcomes:

Extending the service life. The turbine can continue to operate safely, possibly with replaced or reinforced parts.
Repowering. Old turbines are being replaced by newer, usually larger models that generate significantly more electricity each.
Dismantling. If extending the turbine’s service life or repowering it isn’t cost-effective, the turbine is dismantled and the materials are returned to the supply chain.

In most cases, the industry opts for replacement. A turbine from the year 2000 produces only a fraction of what a modern turbine produces per operating hour. Dismantling and recycling is therefore the better choice, both economically and environmentally. This is the kind of work we’re familiar with: previously, we dismantled a harbor crane weighing over 475 metric tons and processed an entire drilling platform. When it comes to decommissioning, we are therefore happy to handle the entire process—from dismantling to processing—for you.

What metals are found in a wind turbine?

A wind turbine is a treasure trove of recoverable metal. About 85 to 90 percent of its mass consists of materials that are easily recyclable. This makes wind turbine recycling a significant industrial activity. An average 2-MW onshore turbine contains, among other things:

Steel. By far the largest component, especially in the tower and the frame. About 80 to 90 percent of the total weight.
Copper. In the generator, cables, and electrical systems. In offshore wind farms, the subsea cable is also included.
Aluminum. In the gondola and electrical components.
Rare earth metals. Primarily used in permanent magnet generators, such as neodymium and dysprosium. Scarce and valuable.
Cast iron. In certain structural components.

Windmill blades: the toughest piece of the puzzle

Recycling wind turbine blades is the biggest challenge. The blades are made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic or carbon fiber—composites that cannot simply be melted down or separated. For years, most of these blades ended up in landfills or incinerators. Now, more and more techniques are emerging, ranging from mechanical grinding to use as a filler in cement to chemical processes that leave the fibers intact.

We do, however, recover all metals released during the dismantling of wind turbine blades, such as mounting bolts, bearings, and embedded steel parts. That is exactly what wind turbine recycling at Krommenhoek Metals entails: precise separation, processing, and directing each material stream to the right destination.

How much scrap metal does a wind turbine yield?

That depends heavily on the type and size. For example, an average 2-MW onshore turbine weighs about 250 to 300 metric tons, a large portion of which is recoverable metal. A modern 6-MW offshore turbine, on the other hand, consists of more than 1,000 metric tons of material, including a significant amount of copper, aluminum, and steel with direct market value.

At Krommenhoek Metals, we base our payments on current scrap prices and provide a weigh slip. No surprises later on. That’s how we’ve been doing business for over a hundred years: our word is our bond.

Frequently Asked Questions About Wind Turbines

Can a wind turbine last 30 years?

Yes, provided that inspections show that the structure and its key components are still safe. Extending the service life has now become a common practice.

What happens to a wind turbine when it is dismantled?

Steel, copper, and aluminum are fully recycled. The rotor blades are more difficult to process and still pose a technical challenge.

Can I sell metal from a wind turbine to Krommenhoek Metals?

Yes. For quantities of 1,000 kg or more, we’ll pick up the metal from you for free anywhere in the Netherlands, and for demolition projects, we’ll place 20-, 30-, or 40-cubic-meter containers on-site.