How can we unlock value in circular value chains, recycle industrial materials, and accelerate Equinor’s path to circularity?

Equinor is committed to improving how we manage material flows — from design to decommissioning — across both wind energy and oil & gas value chains. We’re looking for innovative solutions that reduce waste, recover value, and build circularity into the core of how we operate.

We’re particularly focused on two categories of challenges:

1. Material Recovery & Environmental Risk

• Wind turbine blades made from composite materials and balsa wood are difficult to separate and recycle or reuse.

• Permanent magnets in turbines contain rare earth elements (REEs) such as Neodymium and Dysprosium, which lack dedicated recycling processes in Europe.

• Fluorinated organic compounds, used in high-performance polymers and rubbers, pose environmental risks during disposal and are often mixed with other materials.

• Construction materials from oil & gas facilities could be more extensively upcycled for onshore use — offering a more sustainable alternative to remelting.

2. System-Level Enablers for Circularity

• AI-powered marketplaces for spare parts and components that connect internal and external systems, enabling reuse based on specifications, usage history, and alternative applications.

• Frameworks that align circular solutions with regulation and ESG goals.

These challenges span our entire value chain and require collaboration across suppliers, recyclers, and regulators. With increasing regulatory pressure and a growing number of assets reaching end-of-life, the urgency to act is rising.

We believe there’s an opportunity to drive progress — not only for Equinor, but for the broader energy and industrial sectors.

We want to collaborate with startups and innovators to explore technologies, platforms, and models that can turn industrial waste into new value.

Help us create energy for people, progress for society, and keep searching for better.