Flying Solo: 'Future Blades: circular materials & upcycling for turbines’

What if the molen could turn more sustainably?

The materiality of the turbine blades and their non-recyclability present challenges, challenges that are being addressed on our campus —with plant fibres and flax!

Join AE associate professor Julie Teuwen with young researcher, Deniz Sayinbas, for this free lunch lecture to hear and see the state-of-the-art research on sustainable materials to increase circulatrity for wind blades. Additionally Thijs von Barnau Sythoff will tell the story of innovative turbine re-use in the design sector via his work as project manager at .

For this last 'Flying Together' lunch & learn (part of the Flying Solo exhibition and programme), we want to keep upping the ante to make the green future even greener.

About the speakers:

Julie Teuwen is an associate professor at the department of Aerospace Structures and Materials within the faculty of Aerospace Engineering of Delft University of Technology. Her research focuses on circularity in wind turbine blade manufacturing. Previously, Julie worked as a materials and production process engineer at a wind turbine blade design and manufacturing company, which put her in close collaboration with innovative material suppliers, certification institutes, blade designers and blade manufacturing teams.

Deniz Sayinbas is a 3rd-year PhD candidate at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, TU Delft. His research aims to pave the way toward sustainable wind turbine blade manufacturing by developing minimum-waste production technologies and designing blades with a second life in mind. Focusing on natural fibre composites, automated fibre placement, and reshaping of thermoplastic composites, his work contributes to advancing circular solutions for the end-of-life challenges of wind turbine blades.

Thijs von Barnau Sythoff studied architecture at Delft University of Technology, where he graduated with a thesis on radical circular material use in residential renovations. After graduating, he started working as a project manager at Blade–Made.

Blade–Made is committed to reusing dismantled wind turbine blades as building materials. Through a bold design oriented strategy, they transform waste into high-quality products for public spaces, construction, and the infrastructure sector.

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