Energia Group, a leading infrastructure investor and operator of renewable energy developments across the island of Ireland, has teamed up with BladeBridge, a County Cork start-up, to transform a decommissioned turbine blade on its Meenadreen Wind Farm in south Donegal into a shelter and seating area on a popular walking trail. 

The turbine blade, made from fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composite, was replaced during maintenance in late 2020. It has now been repurposed as a rest area for walkers on the Leghowney Loop trail, which passes through the wind farm. In addition to a 9-metre sculptural bench with picnic tables, the blade has been used to construct a memorial sculpture and shelter, which is dedicated to one of the original operation teams on the Meenadreen site.  

The European wind industry is committed to finding a sustainable solution for the use of decommissioned turbine blades to avoid sending them to landfill. Steel turbine towers can easily be reused and recycled and now turbine blades are increasingly being repurposed to create functional street furniture and even pedestrian bridges.   

Brian Mullen, Head of Energia Renewables Operations, said, “Energia Group is aligned to the UN Sustainability Development Goals and here at Meenadreen Wind Farm sustainability is at the core of everything we do. Turbine blade structures are engineered to last for a long time. That creates challenges when it comes to repurposing them and giving them a second life but seeing this blade transformed into a rest area for walkers shows how you can create a circular economy and repurpose renewable assets.  

“On a personal note, I’m delighted that there will be a fitting memorial on site to remember a long-term colleague and friend of mine and the wider Energia team. Jimmy Kelly from Carrowbeg in Co. Mayo was a member of the original operations team on this site. Jimmy was an Irish wind energy pioneer, developing one of the first independent wind farms in Ireland at Largan Hill in Co. Roscommon.   

“Jimmy generated his own electricity at home, was an organic farmer and even made his own Mayo wine. An expert in too many fields to list, Jimmy would probably hate being celebrated and accuse us of making a fuss. However, he’d be impressed to see this seating area on the wind farm made out of one of the blades he worked on.” 

Seeing his brother Jimmy remembered on one of the wind farms he worked on, Paul Kelly said: “Jimmy was a very humble man and he would be overwhelmed by this dedication but he was devoted to protecting the environment at work and at home and he’d definitely approve of this repurposed blade.  It will be here for decades to come and shows how the wind industry, which was so close to Jimmy’s heart, is addressing the challenge of managing decommissioned turbine blades in a sustainable – and innovative – way.” 

Energia commissioned BladeBridge to design and construct the blade spin-offs. Simon Dennehy from Perch Design is the County Cork start-up’s Creative Director. As a designer, Simon believes in the importance of highlighting blade engineering features in any new form: “These blades are amazing, organic, undulating and asymmetric structures and I want to preserve these design aspects so that people will know that they are sitting on, or standing under, something that was once part of a wind turbine, which will now last for many more decades.  This is innovative engineering and design promoting environmental stewardship.” 

BladeBridge has worked on pedestrian bridge and bus shelter blade projects but this is the first time that they have returned a repurposed blade to the original site as a visitor amenity. 

Energia Renewables Head of Operations Brian Mullen (Right) with Paul Kelly (Left) 

Watch the installation underway:

The blade tower memorial shelter with picnic table and benches 

Additional seating area where walkers can lie back and enjoy the view