Global leader in sustainable materials, EMR has become the latest business to become a member of trade body Scottish Renewables, joining companies across Scotland in creating one of the most innovative decarbonised energy systems in the world.
EMR – a supplier of sustainable materials in the UK, Europe, and USA – works with industries such as steelmaking and automotive to create new, low carbon circular supply chains.
Building on its decades of experience in sectors including automotive, demolition and shipbreaking, EMR is developing an end-to-end decommissioning package for end-of-life wind turbines. This innovative solution will allow operators to achieve maximum possible value recovery, including the re-use, refurbishment and recycling of the components used to construct this technology.
EMR has more than 60 sites located across the UK, including its brand-new deep-sea dock facility at Glasgow’s King George V Dock, bringing some of the world’s largest ships back to the river Clyde to transport sustainable materials to key global markets. EMR also has a large presence at other key UK port facilities include Port of Tyne, Great Yarmouth and Liverpool, and equivalent activities across key ports in Northern Europe.
Scotland already has a vibrant ecosystem of emerging businesses finding new uses for material contained within decommissioned wind turbines. This includes component refurbishment and turning difficult-to-recycle wind turbine blades into furniture and cycle shelters. This is supported by world-leading policy, with circular economy set to be one of the cornerstones of the forthcoming Scottish Onshore Wind Sector Deal. By joining Scottish Renewables, EMR is highlighting its commitment to the future green economy in Scotland and utilising its culture of innovation and investment to create a new circular economy for decommissioned wind turbines in the years ahead.
Charlotte Stamper – Energy Infrastructure Lead at EMR, said:
“Joining Scottish Renewables is a huge statement of intent for EMR as it looks to partner with businesses large and small across Scotland to create a circular economy for decommissioned wind turbines – both onshore and, as they come to their end of life in the future, offshore.
“And this work has already begun. Our teams are actively trialling different approaches to recycling wind turbine blades and investing in state-of-the-art technologies to recover high-value rare earth metals used to construct modern wind turbines and solar panels.
“As a business with operations across the UK, Europe and the USA, what we learn about reusing, refurbishing and recycling end-of-life wind turbines here in Scotland will directly impact the creation of circular economies for this important technology at a global scale.”