Orsted
ESRS disclosure: ESRS E5 \ DR E5-2 \ Paragraph 20c
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- Provide a detailed account of how your organization applies circular design principles, specifically focusing on actions and resources that enhance product durability and optimize usage. Include information on how these efforts contribute to increased rates of reuse, repair, refurbishing, remanufacture, repurposing, and recycling.
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Question Id: E5-2_03
In alignment with our resource management policy objective, we continuously work to reduce, reuse, and recycle resources for our assets. As we have a large portfolio of offshore wind farms in operation, our ability to increase the reuse and refurbishment of spare parts during the lifetime of the assets can both lower our use of virgin materials, extend the lifetime of the assets, and reduce our operational costs. In 2024, we have progressed on this action by ordering more than 300 refurbished yaw brake calipers on our East and West Coast hubs in the UK. Calipers are used to hold the nacelle in place when the brakes are applied and are a part of the hydraulic system. For each caliper we reuse, we also lower the cost of our wind farm maintenance. In addition, we have set up refurbishment loops for several other minor components with a long leadtime to reduce the risk of lost production. By 2030, we intend to establish fully commercial, technically approved refurbishment loops for more than 100 of our key minor components, reducing our overall need for virgin materials during the operational phase of our renewable assets. This is further a mitigation measure towards our identified risk related to the global increase in demand for various scarce critical materials.
Report Date: 4Q2024Relevance: 90%
- Provide a comprehensive description of your organization's material resource inflows, as mandated by Disclosure Requirement E5-4. This should encompass products, including packaging, materials with an emphasis on critical raw materials and rare earths, water, and property, plant, and equipment utilized within your operations and throughout your upstream value chain.
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Question Id: E5-4_01
We have identified key materials fundamental to the construction of our global portfolio of renewable energy projects across offshore and onshore wind, solar, and battery energy storage systems (BESS). Steel is a primary focus at this stage, given its significant role in renewable energy infrastructure and its high potential for recyclability. The use of scrap steel is a norm in steel production, with its content varying across geographies and reflecting established industry practices. Approximately 80% of the steel we source used in the production of steel plates for foundations comes from Europe, where supplier data indicates that, on average, 35% of the material used in these plates derive from scrap. While we account for geographic variability in our presentation, reflected in a range of 20 - 35%, our current estimates place us at the upper end. In addition to steel, critical raw materials, such as copper, aluminium, and rare earth elements (REEs), are essential for renewable energy technologies but present negative impacts and risks related to the depletion of virgin materials and the scarcity of supply. Improving the recyclability of materials such as plastics and glass fibres, including composites used in wind turbine blades, is a priority to reduce reliance on finite resources and ensure sustainable materials.
Report Date: 4Q2024Relevance: 80%