November 20-21, 2025
Europe’s wind energy expansion is ramping up, with our installed capacity growing each year.
But as we continue to build new wind farms, we shouldn’t forget our very first turbines. They’re getting older and we need to plan and prepare for the end of their operational life now. In 2024, we decommissioned 1.3 GW of capacity in Europe. We expect that 22 GW will be decommissioned between now and 2030.
There is a need to responsibly plan and manage the end-of-life phase of these oldest wind farms. And that means making informed decisions on whether to extend the life, refurbish, repower, or dismantle the wind turbines. The wind industry is committed to full sustainability. We should do our best to encourage the most efficient use of our turbines. This includes finding innovative ways to extend the life of turbine components on second hand markets, repurposing decommissioned materials, and creating circular value chains based on sustainable material recycling technologies.
EoLIS – our End-of-Life Issues & Strategies Seminar – is WindEurope’s annual get-together looking at the challenges and opportunities we face when it comes to our ageing wind turbines. Wind energy innovation is not just about bigger models and greater yield. It’s also about delivering turbines that last longer, require less maintenance, and can be repurposed or recycled at the end of their operational life. This way we can ensure wind energy remains the most sustainable source of energy in Europe.