The renewable energy sector is quietly approaching its next major sustainability challenge: wind turbine blade waste. More than 341,000 operational turbines worldwide will eventually contribute to an estimated 43 million metric tons of composite blade waste by 2050, according to research from Cambridge University. India, which has installed 43.7 GW of wind capacity and is targeting 170 GW by 2025, is projected to generate 25,000鈥�30,000 metric tons of discarded blades annually by 2030. Each blade, weighing 10鈥�25 tons and built from non-recyclable fiberglass and carbon fiber, represents an ecological dilemma that cannot be ignored.
Akvotransiro Tech Pvt. Ltd., a Guwahati-based startup, has developed a practical, scalable answer. Using its patent-pending Wind2Water technology, the company has successfully trialed a four-person catamaran constructed entirely from end-of-life (EOL) wind turbine blades. Extensively tested on Deepor Beel, near Guwahati, the prototype has proven stable, maneuverable, and robust 鈥� offering a direct pathway to convert a mounting waste stream into safe, affordable vessels for the Global South and environmentally conscious buyers worldwide. The hulls of this vessel are repurposed from the tip section of a wind blade, while the frames and the deck are from Bamboo composites.
鈥淓very wind turbine blade is an environmental disposal headache in the waiting,鈥� said Ravi Jyoti Deka, founder of Akvotransiro. 鈥淲e have shown they can be re-engineered into reliable working boats that not only address waste but also provide the water transport solutions that developing countries urgently need. This is not a concept note, its a working vessel ready to scale.鈥�
Founded in 2020 and supported by the Technology Innovation Hub at IIT Guwahati, Akvotransiro is India鈥檚 first startup dedicated to green, affordable water transport solutions. The company pioneered BamBateau bamboo-composite boats, creating unsinkable flood-rescue craft, lightweight fishing canoes, and an 18-passenger river trimaran. Its bamboo-composite process remains one of the world鈥檚 only proven, production-ready sustainable boatbuilding technologies. Wind2Water extends this legacy, demonstrating how EOL blades can be transformed into modular hulls, floating docks, and pontoons.