CANOE honored at the JEC AWARDS INNOVATION 2025

31 janvier 2025

The ZEBRA project (« Zero wastE Blade ReseArch ») has just won a major distinction at the JEC Composites Innovation Awards 2025. This prestigious award, obtained in the Renewable Energy category, crowns an exemplary collaboration between several industrial and academic players aimed at transforming the way wind turbine blades are designed, produced and recycled.

 

An innovation for a sustainable future

Led by the IRT Jules Verne in Nantes, in collaboration with a consortium of leading players, including CANOE, the ZEBRA project has demonstrated on an industrial scale the feasibility of a 100% recyclable wind turbine blade. This breakthrough is based on a technological innovation in materials/process solutions that makes it possible to efficiently separate the resin from the fibers for closed-loop recycling, thus reducing the carbon footprint by 30% compared to existing solutions.

The work relied on a combination of skills in robotics, simulation, digitalization and process optimization, particularly in the areas of composite material infusion. The success of the project highlights the importance of a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach to meet the environmental challenges of the wind energy sector.

 

CANOE: a player in this success

Within this ambitious project, CANOE distinguished itself as a decisive contributor thanks to its unique expertise in the field of composite materials and recycling technologies. Led by Vincent Lemaux and Sandrine André, the CANOE team worked on several strategic axes, including the development of implementation processes and the innovative recycling of the Elium® composite material with reinforced fibers.

In particular, CANOE developed an innovative dissolution method allowing high value-added recovery of both the methyl methacrylate monomer and the fibers (glass and carbon). This approach guarantees efficient and sustainable recycling of the materials developed as part of the ZEBRA project.

In its recycling activities, CANOE has explored two complementary avenues: mechanical recycling to treat production waste (such as consumables and material scraps) and dissolution recycling for waste from cutting scraps and end-of-life phases of blades. This innovative process makes it possible to recycle and recover the Elium® resin developed by ARKEMA with a return to the monomer and reinforcements in the form of long fibers while reducing environmental impacts.

 

International recognition and promising prospects

The JEC Composites Innovation Awards, which reward the most significant advances in the composites industry each year, highlight the potential impact of the ZEBRA project on the ecological transition. This distinction confirms the importance of collaborative initiatives such as ZEBRA in solving major environmental challenges.

By winning this award, the ZEBRA project illustrates the power of collaborative innovation and paves the way for a new era for renewable energies, where environmental performance is a key priority.

 

Thanks to IRT Jules Verne, ARKEMA, Engie, LM Wind Power, Owens Corning, Suez for this collective work.