# Circularity in Every Turn of the Blade Discover how a leading wind turbine blade supplier used CATIA on the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform to optimize blade design, cut waste and reduce its carbon footprint. How One Industry Leader Optimizes Wind Turbine Blade Design To Minimizes Waste When a wind turbine blade supplier wanted to reduce its fiberglass waste, Dassault Systèmes offered an automated simulation solution to make it a reality. The global push for decarbonization is driving the wind power industry forward. Yet, like any other sector, this growing market still consumes significant resources, contributing to its own carbon footprint. For one leading wind turbine supplier, the key challenge is slashing resource consumption — an essential step toward truly sustainable renewable energy. With over 40 years of experience in wind turbine blade manufacturing, the company recognized that staying competitive requires continuous innovation. So, it wasted no time to take decisive action to turn things around. By adopting an integrated composite solution for design, simulation and manufacturing, the company has successfully reduced scrap and optimized material usage. Instead of manually cutting flat patterns for molding, the company now simulates the process — precisely modeling the cutouts of fiberglass and other materials. The results? 4% less fiberglass waste per wind turbine blade — directly lowering emissions and conserving resources while driving a faster, more sustainable production process. Discover how Dassault Systèmes' CATIA solution helped this global supplier minimize waste, shrink its carbon footprint and take meaningful steps toward a decarbonized future. About the Customer ***Use Case:*** Deployment of CATIA on the **3D**EXPERIENCE® platform to optimize wind turbine blade design by precisely modeling cutouts in flat material patterns, reducing waste and enhancing design fidelity and quality while lowering costs. Industry Wind energy Company size 9,800 employees Location Strong presence in 10 countries worldwide The Challenge The customer's key challenges stemmed directly from its: ### I. Business Needs a. Reduce environmental impact by minimizing material waste and lowering emissions to align with decarbonization targets b. Cut operational costs and increase production capacity for better profit margins and faster time to market ### II. Operational Requirements Adopt technology with simulation capabilities and advanced patterning techniques to minimize the material input needed for each wind turbine blade and streamline overall operations. [Wind Turbine Challenge](/media/25073) The Solution Dassault Systèmes' approach addressed a crucial part of the process to achieve this objective: a. Software used during the **design** phase b. Primary benefits observed during the **manufacturing and construction** phase [Wind Turbine Loop Solution](/media/25119) The Outcome By leveraging CATIA's advanced composite capabilities, the wind turbine supplier successfully transformed its design process. As a result, it drastically reduced material waste - reinforcing sustainability and promoting circularity in every blade. With precise modeling of cutouts in rolled-out flat material patterns, the company optimized material usage, cutting fiberglass waste from 15% to just 8%. But the benefits went beyond material savings. [Wind Turbine The Outcome](/media/25074) With CATIA's integrated design, simulation and manufacturing capabilities, the company embraced flat patterning and laser projection technology, effectively cutting fiberglass mass per blade by 4%. This strategic shift helped the company minimize scrap, maximize resource efficiency and reduce raw materials consumption per blade. These improvements, in turn, translate into a measurable decrease in emissions, directly lowering the company's carbon footprint. [Wind Turbine The Outcome 2](/media/25075) The End Result From 15% to 8% Fiberglass scrap minimized ![](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-05/icon-390-public-transportation-blue-rvb.png) 7,995tCO2e Avoided emissions1 for 7,850 blades produced per year ![](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-03/icon-093-refresh-blue-rvb.png) Methods The avoided emission estimation was estimated following the: - EU Taxonomy (Regulation Guideline), ISO 14067, 11044 and Guidance of WBCSD Net Zero Initiative Guidelines. - Methodology based on the comparison of two scenarios for one given functional unit (ISO 14067:2018 and ISO 14064-2:2019). - 3DS methodology has been certified by an independent third party and elaborated in compliance with the EU Taxonomy (Regulation Guideline), ISO 14067, 11044 and Guidance of WBCSD Net Zero Initiative Guidelines. The end result expressed in tCO2e remains an estimation. Measuring the Sustainability Benefits of Our Solutions Discover how we accurately quantify the sustainability benefits of our solutions for customers, using a certified methodology. Through real-world use cases, see how we support organizations in their sustainability transition, delivering tangible, measurable results. [Measuring the Sustainability Benefits of Our Solutions](/media/24468) [ Learn more ](/sustainability/measurable-sustainability-benefits) Frequently Asked Questions How are model-based systems engineering enabling better wind turbine blade shape and design? Model-based systems engineering (MBSE) replaces disconnected, manual processes with an integrated workflow that spans composite modeling, simulation, and manufacturing, giving engineers precise control over blade design from concept to production. Using [CATIA design and styling](/products/catia/systems-engineering "Systems Engineering")[ ](/products/catia/systems-engineering "Systems Engineering")and [CATIA systems engineering](/node/5865) on the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform, engineers virtually simulate flat patterning and laser projection techniques before a single piece of material is cut. Composite layups are optimized digitally, reducing fiberglass scrap and blade mass without compromising structural integrity or aerodynamic performance. Blade profiles vary continuously along their full length, thicker aerofoil sections near the root absorb structural loads, while thinner profiles toward the tip prioritize lift generation. MBSE makes this complexity manufacturable at scale, supporting the development of longer, higher-performing blades without proportional increases in weight or cost. For a deeper look at simulation-driven blade engineering, explore [SIMULIA wind turbine engineering](/node/7153) and [wind turb](https://discover.3ds.com/wind-turbine-simulation-for-sustainable-energy)[ine simulation for sustainable energy](https://discover.3ds.com/wind-turbine-simulation-for-sustainable-energy). See how [Suzlon E](/insights/customer-stories/actiflow "Actiflow")[nergy](/insights/customer-stories/suzlon-energy-wind-turbine-blade-design "Suzlon Energy") achieved high-performance blade design in practice, and how [Actiflow](/node/6465) applied simulation to advance wind turbine efficiency further. How is digital transformation accelerating wind turbine manufacturing? Digital transformation is reshaping wind turbine manufacturing by connecting design, simulation, and production into a single, data-driven workflow, eliminating the inefficiencies that slow traditional manufacturing and drive up material costs. Where manual processes once introduced variability and waste, integrated digital tools now enable precise control at every stage. Automated simulation replaces physical trial-and-error, composite layup sequences are optimized before production begins, and laser projection guides assembly with accuracy that manual methods cannot match. The outcome is faster production cycles, lower scrap rates, and more consistent blade quality across large manufacturing runs. At scale, these gains are substantial. Manufacturers producing thousands of blades annually can translate marginal per-unit improvements into significant reductions in raw material consumption, energy use, and carbon emissions, directly supporting both business competitiveness and decarbonization targets. Digital transformation also enables manufacturers to track and report sustainability outcomes with greater precision, aligning production data with frameworks like the EU Taxonomy and meeting growing expectations from regulators and investors alike. Explore how this shift is playing out across [wind farms worldwide](/node/4949), and see why [prioritizing sustainability in manufacturing](/node/4297) has become a strategic imperative for the clean energy sector. How is virtual twins accelerate the development of low-carbon energy? Virtual twins compress the development timeline for low-carbon energy systems by replacing physical prototyping with high-fidelity digital simulation. Engineers can model, test, and refine designs — whether a wind turbine blade, an offshore platform, or a full energy installation, entirely in a virtual environment before a single component is manufactured. This capability is transformative at every stage. During design, virtual twins validate structural integrity, aerodynamic performance, and material efficiency simultaneously. During operations, they enable continuous monitoring and predictive maintenance, reducing downtime and extending asset lifespan. Across the full lifecycle, they help companies make faster, better-informed decisions while consuming fewer physical resources. For the wind energy sector specifically, virtual twins allow manufacturers to simulate complex environmental conditions - turbulence, variable wind speeds, offshore corrosion, and optimize system performance accordingly. This directly supports decarbonization goals by maximizing energy output per unit of material consumed. Explore how Dassault Systèmes applies this approach to [cultivate offshore wind e](/node/6023)[nergy](/industries/infrastructure-energy-materials/energy-transition/cultivate-offshore-wind-energy "Cultivate Offshore Wind Energy") at scale, and discover the broader role of virtual twins in advancing [sustainable wind turbines](/node/2313) across the clean energy transition. How can companies improve the performance and sustainability of their low-carbon energy systems? Improving the performance and sustainability of low-carbon energy systems requires more than switching to cleaner technologies - it demands smarter design, optimized operations, and measurable outcomes across the full production lifecycle. Virtual twin technology is central to this shift. By creating a precise digital replica of physical assets, wind farms, solar installations, or hydrogen facilities, engineers can simulate performance under real-world conditions, identify inefficiencies, and test improvements before committing to costly physical changes. This reduces resource consumption during both development and operation. Integrated simulation and manufacturing tools further enable companies to minimize material waste, cut emissions per unit produced, and accelerate time to market, as demonstrated by the fiberglass scrap reduction achieved in this case study. These gains compound at scale: across thousands of blades or panels, marginal efficiency improvements translate into significant avoided emissions. Data-driven decision-making also plays a critical role, helping companies align energy system performance with decarbonization targets and regulatory frameworks such as the EU Taxonomy. Discover how Dassault Systèmes supports this transition through [clean energy carbon footprint reduction solutions](/manufacturing/sustainable-manufacturing/clean-energy-carbon-footprint-reduction "Setting Carbon Footprint Reduction up for Success in Manufacturing"), a purpose-built to help manufacturers optimize every stage of the clean energy value chain. Sources 1Each of these case studies is a past or current project for which emissions avoided or reduced have been estimated following EU Taxonomy (Regulation Guideline), ISO 14067, 11044 and Guidance of WBCSD Net Zero Initiative Guidelines. The 3DS approach and these calculations, along with the allocated contribution of the software, have been certified by an independent third party. External View URD 2023, Chapter 2. Related Content Regulatory Compliance Drive profitability and meet consumer demands while ensuring regulatory compliance with the **3D**EXPERIENCE® platform. [Discover](/industries/consumer-packaged-goods-retail/regulatory-compliance) Generate Clean Energy Profitably With Sustainable Wind Turbines Accelerate sustainable wind turbine and learn about zero-waste goals & circular design principles to minimize the environmental impact of turbine manufacturing. [Learn more](/sustainability/energy-use/clean-energy-technologies/sustainable-wind-turbines) Circular Economy How circular economy practices can help your business dare to be bold through new business models that preserve the environment for future generations. [Discover](/sustainability/circular-economy) Circularity in Action It’s time for concerted action. Here’s how to make the circular economy achievable, scalable and profitable. [Learn more](/sustainability/circular-economy/circularity-action) ![Circularity in Every Turn of the Blade](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-06/sustainability-wind-turbine-hero-banner.jpeg)