The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has recently issued the "14th Five-Year Plan for Circular Economy Development" to implement the requirements of the Ecological Environment Code and the Law on Promoting Circular Economy, in line with the outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan.

This period is crucial for China's high-quality development and achieving its carbon peak goals, with significant challenges in resource security and comprehensive green transformation. The importance and urgency of resource recycling have become more prominent, necessitating intensified efforts in circular economy initiatives.

The plan outlines the guiding principles and work objectives for circular economy development during this period. By 2030, the main resource output rate is targeted to increase by approximately 16% compared to 2025, with the annual comprehensive utilization of bulk solid waste reaching around 4.5 billion tonnes. The annual recycling volume of major renewable resources is set at 510 million tonnes, and the output value of the resource recycling industry is projected to reach 8 trillion yuan. By 2035, a high-quality development system for the circular economy is expected to be established, with the efficiency of major resource utilization reaching internationally advanced levels.

Key Focus Areas and Management Measures

The plan includes three dedicated sections focusing on enhancing the comprehensive utilization capacity of bulk solid waste, accelerating the high-value development and utilization of traditional "urban minerals," and improving the recycling system for "new three" solid wastes. These sections address issues such as insufficient standardization in recycling, prominent environmental risks, and low resource utilization levels, detailing specific recycling pathways for different categories.

In the bulk solid waste sector, the plan aims to expand the absorption channels and resource utilization scale of materials like coal gangue, fly ash, tailings, and construction waste, further leveraging the resource properties of solid waste.

For traditional "urban minerals," the focus is on accelerating standardized recovery and refined dismantling to enhance the high-value utilization levels of end-of-life vehicles, discarded electronic products, scrap steel, non-ferrous metals, waste plastics, and used textiles.

Regarding "new three" solid wastes, which include problematic items like used power batteries, decommissioned wind power equipment, and discarded photovoltaic modules, the plan emphasizes improving standardized recycling through better scrappage management, clarifying disposal responsibilities, and健全回收 networks.

To address shortcomings in recycling "new three" solid wastes, the NDRC has specified that management measures for the recycling of decommissioned wind and photovoltaic equipment will be formulated, along with industry规范条件 for the comprehensive utilization of used wind turbine blades and photovoltaic modules.

Expert Insights on Wind Power Equipment Recycling

Recycling renewable resources not only minimizes carbon emissions throughout the lifecycle of materials and products but also promotes the green, low-carbon development of the renewable energy industry. The recycling of wind turbines is a key aspect of applying circular economy principles in this sector.

China's installed wind power capacity has consistently ranked among the highest globally for many years. As early-installed units reach the end of their service life, the industry is entering a phase of large-scale decommissioning.

Wang Weiquan, Deputy Secretary-General of the Renewable Energy Professional Committee of the China Energy Research Association, noted that China's wind power industry has progressed through exploration, scaling, and rapid development phases, now entering a new stage of high-proportion development characterized by unsubsidized, fully commercialized operations. With both new and cumulative installed capacity continuously rising and a trend toward larger unit capacities, the average capacity of new units is expected to reach 7.1 megawatts by 2025, with tower heights up to 190 meters, leading to improved power generation efficiency and making more "replacing small with large" retrofit projects economically viable.

Influenced by the 20-year design lifespan and technological upgrades through "replacing small with large" initiatives, China's wind power sector is facing a concentrated wave of retirements. It is projected that decommissioned capacity will exceed 10 gigawatts by 2030, surpass 100 gigawatts by 2035, and exceed 150 gigawatts by 2040. Wang Weiquan emphasized that recycling wind power equipment not only helps prevent environmental pollution but also secures the supply chain for critical metals like steel, copper, and aluminum. The material recovery from a single 1.5-megawatt turbine can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 600 tonnes, offering significant carbon reduction value.

At the policy level, China has established a comprehensive framework from national to local jurisdictions. Nationally, dozens of policy documents, including the Ecological Environment Code, have clarified responsibility requirements and development directions for wind power equipment retirement disposal. Provinces such as Henan, Guangdong, and Jilin have also introduced supporting schemes with detailed部署 for the disposal of solid waste from new energy sources like wind power.

In terms of recycling technology, the core of wind equipment recycling lies in categorized utilization. While technologies for recycling metal and concrete components are mature, the main challenge lies in handling thermosetting glass fiber reinforced plastic materials from blades. Currently, landfilling and incineration are strictly limited due to resource waste and environmental risks. Mechanical grinding for producing construction formwork or pallets is the only commercially viable path, but it offers low added value and makes profitability difficult for enterprises. High-value utilization technologies are mostly in laboratory or pilot stages, and niche applications like工艺品 have limited absorption capacity, unable to meet the needs of large-scale retirement.