ACCIONA has partnered with Australian surf brand Bolero Surf to create the first commercially available surfboard fins made from 100% recycled wind turbine blades. These fins show how wind turbine recycling can create high performance products for everyday use.
This project is part of our Turbine Made initiative, which explores innovative ways to repurpose retired wind turbine blades into new materials and products.
Crafted in Sydney by Bolero Surf, these fins represent the vision of 26-year-old designer and entrepreneur Banjo Hunt. For years, Bolero's production was split between Australia and offshore factories.
Banjo set out to bring it all home to elevate quality, slash environmental impact, and create a truly sustainable local manufacturing model.
The biggest challenge? Traditional hand-laid fibreglass. It is slow, expensive, and heavily reliant on virgin materials.
Banjo spent years testing recycled fibreglass options, from caravan panels to boat hulls. Most fell short with loose weaves and excess resin that compromised high-performance flex and strength.
The fibreglass inside turbine blades is incredibly strong and consistent. It is exactly the type of material you want in a high-performance surfboard fin. By reusing it, we avoid one of the most expensive and labour-intensive parts of fin making. That advantage is helping us bring production back to Australia.
BANJO HUNT, FOUNDER BOLERO SURF
The Turbine Made initiative is just one example of how ACCIONA is advancing the circular economy in the renewable energy sector. By repurposing decommissioned wind turbine blades, we’re ensuring that the materials we use today don’t become tomorrow’s environmental challenge.
This project builds on our previous efforts, including:
Collaborating with European fashion brand El Ganso to create sneakers with recycled blade material in their soles.
Integrating recycled blade materials into the torsion beams of solar trackers at a solar plant in Extremadura, Spain.
Investing in a blade recycling plant in Navarra, Spain, with a processing capacity of 6,000 tonnes of material per year.
“When ACCIONA approached us about being part of the solution and working together to create these surfboards, we jumped at the opportunity. At its core, our brand is about enabling the best surfing experience with quality products, in a sustainable way—which aligns perfectly with ACCIONA’s vision for Turbine Made.”
The Turbine Made initiative is just one example of how ACCIONA is advancing the circular economy in the renewable energy sector. By repurposing decommissioned wind turbine blades, we’re ensuring that the materials we use today don’t become tomorrow’s environmental challenge.
This project builds on our previous efforts, including:
Collaborating with European fashion brand El Ganso to create sneakers with recycled blade material in their soles.
Integrating recycled blade materials into the torsion beams of solar trackers at a solar plant in Extremadura, Spain.
Investing in a blade recycling plant in Navarra, Spain, with a processing capacity of 6,000 tonnes of material per year.
In the next 5 to 10 years, Australia will face a growing challenge: what to do with decommissioned wind turbine blades. At ACCIONA Energia, we’re tackling this issue head-on by finding innovative ways to recycle and reuse these materials. Mariola Domenech, ACCIONA Energia’s Global Sustainability Director, said: “Sustainability isn’t just about reducing waste—it’s about product stewardship, ensuring that what we build today doesn’t become tomorrow’s environmental challenge. By working with Australian manufacturers, designers, and innovators, we can encourage the creation of practical, high-performance applications that benefit both industry and the environment.”
The fibreglass inside turbine blades is incredibly strong and consistent. It is exactly the type of material you want in a high-performance surfboard fin. By reusing it, we avoid one of the most expensive and labour-intensive parts of fin making. That advantage is helping us bring production back to Australia.
BANJO HUNT, FOUNDER BOLERO SURF
We've been working with ACCIONA Energía for a bit over a year now on a couple of different projects. That's funding six businesses per year over a five year period to be able to come through and do the Grazing for Profit School. What this partnership signals is a willingness to work together.
David McLean, Managing director RCS