Toward Continued Improvements in Wind Turbine Blade Durability

This talk will present insights from DNV's recent work on improving the quality and durability of wind turbine blades. The material will draw on a (pending) February 2026 DNV Whitepaper on this topic. While protecting client confidential information, the insights are drawn from DNV's direct, collaborative engagement with three major turbine/blade OEMs and numerous wind project developers, informing improvements in blade quality from design through manufacturing. Real (anonymized) examples of resulting defect reductions will be included. The talk is not intended to promote DNV services, but rather to provide thought leadership on improving blade quality and durability across our industry as a whole. Proven strategies for achieving these goals will be presented, including the importance of design-for-manufacture, increased use of automated / non-destructive inspection technologies, feedback from the factory to the design team, and collaborative engagement between OEMs, owner/operators, and 3rd-party experts. The presentation will include insights from past experience, as well as challenges, opportunities, and emerging strategies to drive continued improvements in blade reliability.