Wind turbine blade having a root region with elongated fastening members provided with metal fibres

A wind turbine blade for a wind turbine rotor comprising a hub from which the wind turbine blade extends when mounted to the hub, the wind turbine blade including a shell structure of a fibre-reinforced composite material comprising fibres embedded in a polymer matrix, the wind turbine blade extending in a longitudinal direction and having a profiled contour including a pressure side and a suction side as well as a leading edge and a trailing edge, said edges defining a chord plane therebetween, when seen in the longitudinal direction the profiled contour comprising a root region with a root end face, an airfoil region and optionally a transition region between the root region and the airfoil region,

• the root region having a ring-shaped cross section with an outer surface and an inner surface,
• the root region comprising a plurality of elongated fastening members provided with fastening means and embedded mutually spaced apart in the fibre-reinforced polymer matrix so as to substantially follow a circumference of the root region and allow access from the outside to the fastening means used for mounting the blade to the hub,
• the elongated fastening members each comprising an outer surface, a first end arranged at the root end face, a second end opposite the first end thereof, a first lateral face, and an opposite second lateral face,
• wherein at least one of the elongated fastening members comprises metal fibres, a first end thereof being firmly fixed to the fastening member and the remaining portion thereof extending outwardly from the fastening member and being embedded in the polymer matrix of the fibre-reinforced composite material, the metal fibres extending from the fastening members so as to be arranged in at least one separate layer of the fibre-reinforced composite material, wherein the remaining portion of each said metal fibre extends through, and is surrounded by, the polymer matrix, adjacent ones of the remaining portions of the metal fibres being separated from one another by a portion of the polymer matrix.