Chinese companies have made progress in recycling used wind turbines and turning them into valuable products, as part of the efforts to make the wind power industry more sustainable.
According to reports, steel usually makes up 86 percent of used wind power equipment, with fiberglass making up about 10 percent, copper and aluminum 5.3 percent and rare earth elements 0.5 percent.
The Eling Wind Farm in south China's Guangdong Province has phased out a group of old and inefficient wind turbines, raising its power generation efficiency by more than two times and saving nearly 80 percent of collective land. The person in charge said that key components of the retired generators can be applied to other industries after technical transformation and maintenance, and scrap metals can be recycled into building materials.
Wind turbine blades made from fiberglass have always been difficult to recycle because of their hardness and large size. To solve this problem, a company in east China's Shandong Province has developed a hydraulic cutting robot to cut the blades.
"Through program control and automatic conveying systems, we achieve high levels of mechanized automation to replace the original manual operation, doubling cutting efficiency and addressing the dust problem with hydraulic cutting," said Zhang Min, general manager of wind and solar power production line of Jerry Environmental Protection Technology Company.
Through technological innovation, a company in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region has recycled wind turbine blades into composite pallets and building templates. These environmentally friendly products also feature high toughness, excellent waterproof performance and weather resistance.
"We recycled 300,000 kilowatts of wind power systems in the first half of 2024. These recycled wind turbines produced about 70 tons of copper, over 300 tons of aluminum, over 2,000 tons of composite materials, and over 20,000 tons of scrap steel. The effective recycling of these materials has reduced our reliance on foreign raw material suppliers and has reduced carbon emissions in raw materials production," said Cheng Gangqi, director of the Wind and Solar Equipment Recycling Committee of the China National Resources Recycling Association.
Chinese manufacturers speed up wind turbines recycling
Macao has been emerging as a global hub for conventions and exhibitions in recent years by exploring the enormous opportunities in the sector, driving the region to advance its economic diversification and embrace a brighter future.
Macao has received many awards this year, such as the Best Convention City (Asia) and the Best BT-MICE City, showcasing the recognition for and influence of Macao's exhibition industry.
More than 1,000 electronic game enthusiasts from all over the world gathered recently in Macao to participate in a esports themed event.
Su Zhili, organizer of the event, said that Macao's rich experience in hosting large-scale events, coupled with its good infrastructure, has driven him to choose the region as an ideal destination to hold such an activity.
"Macao has held many similar large-scale events. It has rich experience, and the facilities at the venue are relatively mature, so we can start our work comfortably," said Su.
During the first three quarters of 2024, Macao held more than 1,000 conferences and exhibitions in total.
"We will invite more professional, special conferences to be held in Macao and also cultivate more exhibition brands with international influence in Macao, so as to promote Macao's exhibitions to be more market-oriented, professional, international, digital and greener from various aspects. This is our goal," said Elaine Wong, member of the Macao Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute.
In addition, multiple large exhibitions and conferences, such as the Macao International Trade and Investment fair, the Macao Franchise Expo, and the International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum, are held regularly in Macao.
With the introduction of a series of policies and measures to facilitate the exchanges between the mainland and Macao, as well as the construction and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Macao's convention and exhibition industry will embrace more opportunities for development in the foreseeable future.
"We have such a good industrial base in the Greater Bay Area. The mode of 'Convention and Exhibition + Industry' not only integrates the industries of Macao, but also the industries of the Greater Bay Area. In addition, Macao actively integrates into the national development and plays a role in the Belt and Road. Why are we so confident in Macao's convention and exhibition sector? Because it is backed by the motherland, and the country gives Macao great support," said Alan Ho, chairman of the Macao Association of Convention, Exhibition and Tourism Sectors.
Macao emerges as global hub for conventions and exhibitions, driving economic diversification and international recognition
