Close the Loop: contributing to Earth’s circular economy and sustainability
EDP knows that the planet's natural resources are finite and that the circular economy is not an option, but a necessity. Throughout the years, we have been committed to this motto, always looking to reduce our consumption and give new life to what others might consider waste.
Close the Loop Program by EDP
The Close the Loop program is EDP’s latest big circularity program and the largest circularity partnership program in the industry - with more than 20 partners. This is a company-wide program that supports EDP’s circular economy goals.
Implemented by EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA) - a leading renewable energy developer and a top five renewable energy owner and operator in the United States -, Close the Loop is integral to our goal to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2040. It works by building partnerships with stakeholders, promoting efficiency in the product life cycle, optimizing resource use while minimizing waste and ensuring transparent communication throughout the company. The key differentiator of this program is that its main focus is on the lifecycle of solar and wind renewable energy projects.
By being a 360-degree program, Close the Loop touches every aspect of the project lifecycle. Its name also gives life to a way of acting: at EDPR NA, every employee is empowered to “close the loop” - from simple recycling efforts to full-scale reuse initiatives. In this case, solar panels and wind turbines are the most obvious components, but every renewable energy project includes materials that can be recycled - like solvents and oils, rare-earth materials, cables, concrete and steel.
In this program, we partnered up with SOLARCYCLE, a recycling company founded in 2022, that offers recycling solutions for solar panels. This process brings materials back into the supply chain, helping, therefore, grow the domestic solar manufacturing industry. Besides, there are also other leaders in the recycling services sector throughout North America working with us.
As we continue to invest in sustainable practices, the Close the Loop program serves as a testament to our commitment to a circular economy and sustainability, always aligning with broader industry trends. By partnering with industry leaders and focusing on the lifecycle of renewable energy projects, we are not only reducing our environmental footprint but also contributing to a more sustainable future for generations to come.
We are committed to ODS 12
With Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 – Sustainable Production and Consumption – in mind, we are committed to eliminating 100% of single-use plastics and maintaining an 85% waste recovery rate along the value chain for renewables by 2026. Additionally, we aim to achieve 90% waste recovery across the entire value chain by 2026 and increase the total waste recycled from operations by 85% by 2025. An example of circularity is the Zas wind farm in Spain: in 2019, 80 turbines were dismantled, 22 of which were sold, and the remaining were delivered to an authorized manager for recovery.
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