Argyll’s Renewable Parts Ltd
Argyll’s Renewable Parts Ltd recirculates wind turbine components through remanufacture and refurbishment so they can be reused. This pioneering work has already prevented more than 200 tonnes of scrap heading to landfill.
Wind turbines are vital to our low-carbon future but replacing worn out parts has a significant waste and carbon impact. The business is bringing new skilled jobs and apprenticeships to rural Scotland and creating a greener wind industry around the world. The company works with energy companies, government and academia to champion the growth of a sustainable supply chain for the energy sector. Renewable Parts work with local schools has encouraged more young people to take up careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths). It is the first business in the wind turbine industry remanufacturing parts to the same standard as new components. The business, founded in 2011, now supplies recirculated and new parts to over 2,000 wind turbines each year. This work, much of it in partnership with the University of Strathclyde, has focused on technology to improve performance and reduce landfill rates. Components commonly remanufactured include anemometers for measuring wind speed and yaw gearboxes, which turn the turbine to face the wind direction.
- Bringing new skilled jobs and apprenticeships
- Prevented more than 200 tonnes of scrap heading to landfill
- Embedding circular economy in the wind industry
Supporting skills and the local community
Renewable Parts has worked with National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, a partnership between industry, academia and the public sector, to help graduates find work.
Their work with local schools and the community has created many employment opportunities with intake to its modern apprenticeship scheme ever growing. This inward investment in the local economy lies at the heart of Renewable Parts ethos for a sustainable future.
Carol Sheath, engineering programme manager, returned to her hometown to work for Renewable Parts.
She said: “Renewable Parts is leading the way in embedding circular economy in the wind industry, disrupting the linear economy and providing a sustainable alternative. We’re also providing a quicker and lower cost service to customers.
“We do this through engineering, innovation, training people, and it’s great that we’re based in Argyll, giving benefits to the local area.”
James Barry, chief executive, added: “We’ve seen a dramatic shift in attitude within the wind industry during the last 12 months. Businesses are now understanding what net zero really means, and that it will require a dramatic decarbonisation of the supply chain.
“We’re expecting the demand for recirculated parts, which is already growing rapidly, to accelerate with up to 70% parts becoming reused within a few years. In a resource constrained world, where greater sustainability is vital to achieving a net zero future, we simply have no choice.”
“We’ve seen a dramatic shift in attitudes within the wind industry during the last 12 months. Businesses are now understanding what net zero really means and that it will require a dramatic decarbonisation of the supply chain”
James Barry, Chief Executive
Source : Ashden Awards
