José María Esteve (Managing Director of SKF ESPAÑOLA, S.A.) and Javier Villanueva (CEO of RenerCycle) after the signing of the collaboration agreement.
RenerCycle, a leader in circular economy solutions, has entered into a strategic partnership agreement with SKF, a renowned supplier of bearing, sealing, lubrication and industrial services technologies, with the aim of driving sustainable innovations in the global wind sector.
This strategic alliance, reached by José María Esteve, Managing Director of SKF Española, and Javier Villanueva, CEO of RenerCycle, on November 8, 2023, marks a significant milestone in the promotion of circular and sustainable solutions for the wind industry.
The agreement covers several areas of collaboration:
1. Development of technology and commercial service for the reconditioning of the oil of the gearboxes and hydraulic systems of wind turbines. Both companies will work on research and feasibility for the creation of innovative solutions to recondition the oil used in the gearboxes and hydraulic systems of wind turbines, with the purpose of efficiently reusing them in the wind sector and other industrial applications. The creation of a joint dynamic in the field of the wind industry would be an important step in the circular economy.
Currently, SKF’s RecondOil® technology is already being successfully used in the reconditioning of industrial oils in different sectors of the economy.
2. Industrial collaboration in the reconditioning of wind turbine drivetrain bearings. A joint effort will be carried out for the selection and reconditioning of wind turbine drivetrain bearings, providing spare parts with guarantee to the market, improving their availability and promoting the circular economy in the sector.
3. Development of a pilot project for industrial energy self-consumption: An innovative pilot project will be carried out at the SKF factory in Tudela (Navarra) with the intention of assessing the feasibility of generating renewable electricity from a wind source. With the integration of this source together with other solar generation and advanced storage systems used at the Tudela plant, the aim is to constitute a sustainable industrial self-consumption solution.
For the successful implementation of these projects, SKF will contribute its expertise and resources, including its R&D centers in Sweden and refurbishment centers in Austria, and its industrial plant in Tudela (Navarra). For its part, RenerCycle will mobilise its network of associated companies, including RWE, ACCIONA ENERGIA, ENERFIN (recently acquired by STATKRAFT), ENHOL, NORDEX and other industrial companies specialising in wind power gearboxes.
Javier Villanueva, CEO of RenerCycle: “This collaboration with SKF represents an important step in our mission to drive circular solutions into wind and other industrial sectors. We are excited to combine our expertise with SKF’s technological capability and track record to develop new technologies and services that will significantly contribute to the transition to a more sustainable model.”
José María Esteve, Managing Director of SKF Española, S.A.: “Firm with our commitment to constant innovation, and with the purpose of re-imagining together more sustainable rotation solutions, we initiated this strategic alliance with RenerCycle providing our capabilities linked to the reconditioning of industrial oils and used bearings, among other specific solutions for the wind sector, and always with the aim of contributing to a better world for the generations to come.”
This agreement reinforces the commitment of both companies to sustainable innovation and marks the beginning of a strategic collaboration whose main objective is to develop more sustainable technologies and business models, thus contributing to the global ecological transition.
About RenerCycle
RenerCycle offers innovative circular economy solutions for the wind energy sector. The company was created in 2022 and has 10 industrial partners with extensive experience in the renewable sector that allows it to cover all areas of the value chain.
Thus, RenerCycle boosts its business activity at a national and international level in the promotion of a new model of non-linear production and consumption, a circular model in which the value of products, materials and resources is maintained in the economy loop for as long as possible, the generation of waste is reduced to a minimum and those that cannot be eliminated are used to the greatest extent possible. All this to contribute to achieve a sustainable, decarbonized economy that is more efficient in the use of natural resources, while at the same time favoring the competitiveness of the renewable industry, aligned with the main initiatives to safeguard the environment.
About SKF Española
SKF is a leading global provider of innovative solutions that help industries become more competitive and sustainable. By making products that are lighter, more efficient, more durable, and easier to repair, we help our customers improve the performance of their rotating equipment and reduce their environmental impact. Our offer around rotating machine shafts includes bearings, sealing seals, lubrication management, condition monitoring and other services. Founded in 1907, SKF is present in approximately 129 countries and has some 17,000 distributors worldwide. Annual sales in 2022 were SEK 96,933 million and its workforce was 42,641 employees.
® SKF is a registered trademark of the SKF Group.
