Platform on civil engineering, underground infrastructure, energy, construction equipment & construction machinery
Six months after its unveiling, the Blade Barrier demonstrates at the Department of Public Works test site that reused wind turbine blades can be a serious and circular alternative to traditional noise barriers. Initial measurement results show that the innovative screen achieves comparable noise reduction to a standard concrete noise barrier.
The Blade Barrier was unveiled on July 2, 2025 as a Dutch world first: the first sound barrier constructed from discarded wind turbine blades. The 60-meter-long test facility is located along the A58 near Oirschot and will be monitored until the end of 2026 within InnovA58, Rijkswaterstaat's living lab.
Initial noise studies show that the Blade Barrier achieves good noise results. The screen, composed of two whole turbine blades and a sawn section, varies in height between 3 and 4 meters. Evaluation with scientific models shows that the Blade Barrier is acoustically comparable to a traditional noise barrier of about 3.3 meters in height. The noise study on the Blade Barrier was conducted by the companies M+P and Demcon, commissioned by the Department of Public Works.
Rijkswaterstaat is positively surprised by the results. Willem Jan van Vliet, noise measures expert: “With the results, the screen effect of the Blade Barrier has become clear. Based on this, we now know how the screen can be modeled in a regular road traffic noise study.”
With this, one of the most important assessment criteria has now been demonstrated in outline: noise performance. With the realization in July 2025, the feasibility has also been demonstrated. Monitoring will continue until the end of 2026 during which time the results of the other criteria (financial impact, safety & maintenance and sustainability) will follow.
The Blade Barrier is an initiative of startup Blade-Made, which focuses on the high-quality reuse of wind turbine blades from decommissioned wind farms. These blades are difficult to recycle and are a growing waste stream worldwide.
Use as a secondary building material in large-scale infra-structures offers the wind industry a sustainable solution to complex waste streams. The construction industry saves cement and steel, thereby reducing the pressure on the environment. Thus, the knife cuts both ways. The noise barrier is in line with Rijkswaterstaat's ambition to become fully climate-neutral and circular.
From the InnovA58 project, Rijkswaterstaat is participating in the project with the test site, knowledge and co-financing. The Blade Barrier fits within the ambition to work towards sustainable and circular infra-objects that can also be used in daily practice. With the first positive results, InnovA58 also wants to inform other road authorities, such as municipalities and provinces, about the possibilities of circular noise barriers. The Blade Barrier shows that reuse of complex residual streams, such as wind turbine blades, can lead to full-fledged, functional and scalable infra solutions with a lower environmental impact.
The pilot project was realized in cooperation with Dura Vermeer, which was involved in its development and implementation from the beginning. The province of North Brabant was also involved through a financial contribution from the Circular Breakthrough Projects Program.
