Trial installation Blade Barrier
July 2025
Today, the very first sound barrier made from repurposed wind turbine blades, the Blade Barrier®, was unveiled at the Rijkswaterstaat Innovation Strip along the A58 motorway near the Kloosters service area in Oirschot. This Dutch world first is a 60-metre-long trial installation that will be monitored and tested for performance until the end of 2026.
The sound barrier consists of two 37m wind turbine blades and a sawn section. This allows all common connections to be tested for feasibility and sound reduction performance. The blades require little foundation compared to conventional sound barriers. By placing them on a slope of earth, a minimum height of three metres can easily be guaranteed.
With this trial setup, they demonstrate the noise performance, realisability, maintenance and Environmental Cost Indicator (EQI) to enable – upon convincing evidence – application in other locations in the Netherlands and internationally.
The Blade Barrier is an initiative of Blade–Made, as part of their mission to give the large stream of difficult-to-recycle wind turbine blades from decommissioned wind farms a useful second life as secondary building material. To this end, they are working with partners in various markets. Specifically for the Blade Barrier, Blade–Made collaborated with Dura Vermeer and Rijkswaterstaat and was supported by the Province of North Brabant.
