A wind farm in West Texas has gained additional generating capacity while giving its old turbine blades a new industrial use. Panther Creek III, which began operating in 2009 with 133 turbines, underwent a repowering project with longer blades and upgraded gearboxes. The work raised the wind farm’s capacity to 215 MW and was designed to increase annual electricity production from the existing turbines. At the same time, the blades removed during the upgrade were processed for use in cement production. Nearly 90% of the blade material by weight was set to be reused as engineered material for cement manufacturing.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!