How Vestas is Making Wind Turbines More Sustainable

Vestas has positioned itself as a leader in the wind energy sector, not only through its turbine manufacturing capabilities but also through its environmental commitments.

The company has set itself the target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 without relying on carbon offsets, whilst also working towards producing zero-waste turbines by 2040 through the implementation of circular economy principles.

The manufacturer powers its operations entirely with renewable electricity and is focused on enhancing material efficiency by increasing recycling rates. Additionally, Vestas is working to reduce emissions from its service fleet through the deployment of eco-friendly vehicles and hydrogen-powered vessels. The company reports that its turbines typically avoid 50 times the emissions they generate during their lifecycle.

"At Vestas, sustainability is the business we are in, it's one of the key purposes that our more than 29,000 employees come to work every day - to make the world a more sustainable place,” says Henrik Andersen, President and CEO at Vestas.

Lisa Ekstrand, Vice President and Head of Sustainability at Vestas, says: “Integrating sustainability into everything we do is a part of our vision to become the global leader in sustainable energy solutions.”

Vestas was ranked 17th in Sustainability Magazine’s Top 250 Most Sustainable Companies 2025 list.

Wind energy at scale

Vestas operates as one of the world's largest wind turbine manufacturers and service providers, with activities spanning both onshore and offshore markets.

The company's central proposition focuses on replacing fossil fuel-based electricity with wind energy at scale, which could drive emissions reductions beyond its own operational footprint.

According to Vestas, turbines produced and shipped in 2024 are expected to avoid 455 million tonnes of CO₂e over their operational lifetime.

The company's carbon neutrality goal for its own operations by 2030 will be achieved without offsets, whilst its 2040 zero-waste turbine target means eliminating incineration or landfill across the entire value chain.

Decarbonising the supply chain

More than 80% of the carbon footprint associated with Vestas' turbines originates from purchased materials.

In response, the company operates a supplier sustainability programme and has set a target for a 45% reduction in supply chain emissions intensity per MWh by 2030, measured against a 2019 baseline.

Vestas has also engaged strategic suppliers to measure emissions and establish targets aligned with science-based outcomes.

The company is collaborating with ArcelorMittal to support the production of lower carbon steel using 100% steel scrap melted in an electric arc furnace powered entirely by wind energy.

According to ArcelorMittal, it is the only steel producer manufacturing low carbon emissions heavy plate steel in large dimensions, which minimises the need for welding and associated emissions.

ArcelorMittal states that for an entire onshore tower, the CO₂ reduction from using this steel is at least 52%.

Dieter Dehoorne, Head of Global Procurement at Vestas, says: “Finding ways to decarbonise the emissions produced during the raw material extraction and refinement of steel is vital for us and the industry in general.

“Vestas sees the partnership with ArcelorMittal and the adoption of low-emission steel as a significant lever in reducing CO₂ emissions within the wind industry. 

“Commitment from our customers is vital to drive the transition so we are very happy that we can provide value to our customers with this solution.”

Addressing turbine recyclability

According to Vestas, its wind turbines are currently 85% recyclable, with the company investigating pathways for materials that are difficult to recycle.

The remaining challenge lies in recycling the blades, which contain composites primarily composed of epoxy resin and glass fibre.

CETEC represents a research project involving Vestas, Olin, Danish Technological Institute and Aarhus University that aims to enable circularity for thermoset composites.

Working with industrial partners, Vestas is looking to scale the CETEC solution, which could allow for circular blade recycling without requiring alterations to blade design or material composition.