Assigning end of life cycle wind turbines to the recycling facilities: A case study in Turkey

The wind power industry has been growing significantly in the previous years and recently many countries have invested immensely into energy systems, renewable energy like the wind turbine which enjoys a lifespan of 20 – 25 years. In this study we have examined the wind turbines in Turkey and set up necessary steps that must be taken when break-down, remanufacturing and recycling phase occur. There are so many steps and areas that need to be look at when recycling or remanufacturing occurs, however, this study is focused on assigning end of life wind turbines to the manufacturers in Turkey. A mathematical model was set up using the p-median model (The problem of locating "wind turbine manufacturers" relative to a set of "wind turbine" such that the sum of the shortest recycling or remanufacturing weighted distance between "wind turbine" and "wind turbine manufacturer" is minimized.) and p-center model (helps us in minimizing the maximum distance between the 164 wind turbines and the 10 wind turbine manufacturers) to help in reversing the flow of wind turbine from the located areas to the nearest wind turbine manufacturers on the map. This study will guide the authorities and decision makers on which wind turbine manufacturer is best located to recycle or remanufacture which wind turbine. Key Words: End of Life, Location & Allocation, P-median, P-center, Recycling, Wind Turbine.