The VB1F project, carried out by a consortium of four partners, including Voodin Blade Technology, has been awarded a €48.18 million grant under the Innovation Fund to build the world’s first commercial manufacturing facility in Spain for fully recyclable wooden wind turbine blades.
The project aims to make wind energy more sustainable by replacing fiberglass with locally sourced, fully recyclable materials, thereby supporting clean energy in Europe and job creation.
Wind energy is an important part of Europe’s shift to clean power, with €45 billion raised for new wind projects across the region in 2025. But that investment comes with a sustainability challenge: today’s wind turbine blades are made of fiberglass, a material that is difficult to recycle. Around 78% of decommissioned blades end up buried in landfills, raising serious environmental and cost concerns for the industry.
To tackle this challenge, a consortium of four partners, including Germany-based startup Voodin Blade Technology, has been awarded a €48.18 million grant under the Innovation Fund for the Voodin Blade 1st Factory (VB1F) project. It will scale up the manufacturing of fully recyclable wind turbine blades made from Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL). A first-of-its-kind factory in Navarre, Spain, will be established to create an all-European sustainable supply chain in line with the European Green Deal, the Net-Zero Industry Act, and REPowerEU.
Beyond recyclable materials
A solution by Voodin Blade Technology goes beyond just changing the blade material. The core advance is its fully automated, mold-free manufacturing process, which can produce wooden wind turbine blades anywhere in the world where clean energy is needed. This approach avoids the limitations of centralized factories and enables blade production with less specialized labor and investment.
“Our manufacturing system is designed for fast-scale deployment,” says Tom Siekmann, Co-Founder and CEO of Voodin Blade Technology. “By enabling local blade production, we can help build stronger, more resilient European supply chains, reduce dependence on overseas manufacturing, and accelerate the deployment of wind energy where it is needed most. Our approach is designed for both scale and flexibility.”
Toward a sustainable wind sector in Europe
Launching in 2031, the Navarre facility will produce up to 160 sets of blades per year, supporting the manufacture of wind turbines that can collectively generate around 13.5 million MWh of electricity over a decade. The process relies on advanced automation in a fully electric, mold-free environment, enabling flexible production without retooling for each new blade design.
The operation is expected to support about 450 local jobs at full capacity. The technology not only removes supply bottlenecks but also helps meet Europe’s ambitious energy and climate targets. The plant can be licensed and replicated in other regions worldwide. Regional authorities in Navarre have reaffirmed their institutional support for the initiative, making it a showcase for Europe’s decarbonization strategy.
About the VB1F project
The VB1F (Voodin Blade 1st Factory) project aims to establish the world’s first commercial-scale manufacturing facility for fully recyclable wind turbine blades made from Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL). Supported by the Innovation Fund, the project will introduce a highly automated, mold-free production process that replaces conventional composite materials with wood, significantly reducing manufacturing emissions and addressing the end-of-life recycling challenge for wind turbine blades.
Located in Navarre, Spain, the factory is expected to begin operations in 2031, producing up to 160 blade sets annually for the European and global wind energy markets. Over its first ten years of operation, the project is expected to avoid more than 2.4 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions while contributing to a more resilient, all-European supply chain for net-zero technologies.
The VB1F project is carried out by a consortium of four partners: VMG Wood Invest (Lithuania, project coordinator), Voodin Blade Technology GmbH (Germany), Anker-Tec GmbH (Germany), and VMG Technics (Lithuania).
Source: Voodin Blade Technology GmbH
