ANEMOS · Automated and sustaiNablE digital Manufacturing fOr reSilient and integrated wind energy systems

Renewable wind energy is expected to increase by at least 50% in the next four years if Europe is to reach the ambitious targets set by the REPowerEU Plan. To achieve this, the entire wind energy value chain must undergo transformation, since wind turbine production today remains highly energy- and material-intensive and still relies heavily on manual labour. ANEMOS aspires to revolutionize wind turbine manufacturing by overcoming the cost, time, and sustainability barriers of current blade and nacelle production. The project will develop and demonstrate at TRL7 an innovative automated preform layup which, combined with digitalised binder activation, will enhance reproducibility and cost-effectiveness. In parallel, eco-designed recycled aluminium busbars will be produced through advanced metal additive manufacturing, enabling shorter cycle times, circularity, and resource efficiency. These complementary innovation streams will set the basis for faster, cleaner, and more resilient manufacturing processes. ANEMOS will deliver measurable impacts in environmental sustainability, technology leadership, competitiveness, and large-volume manufacturing. It is expected to avoid the generation of > 99 t of CO2/year by reducing defect areas, directly decreasing the environmental. For busbars, replacing > 56 t of Cu annually with recycled Al will save €448k/year and cut an additional 229 t of CO2. Automation will also save > 120 h/blade of manual labour, reducing repair costs by ca. €11.3k/unit. Additive manufacturing of busbars will further save 2,700h/year. As a result, output of blades and busbars will increase by 16% and 20% respectively, contributing to rising market demand and generating ca. €24M of additional annual value across the value chain. ANEMOS is formed by 11 partners from 5 European countries, including leading academic and industrial organizations working together with one of the most important European wind energy manufacturers worldwide.