A groundbreaking research and development team, led by The Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, is transforming the design and manufacture of steel onshore wind turbine towers, making them more efficient and sustainable.
The consortium, largely based in Wales, includes Tata Steel UK, RWE, Bute Energy, Hutchinson Engineering, and Ledwood, and the project has won £174,000 SMART Flexible Innovation Support from the Welsh Government.
Most wind turbine towers currently built in the UK rely on imported thick steel plate for construction, creating a potential bottleneck for renewable energy projects. This initiative could change this, by developing a tower design that uses thin strip, coil based, low emission steel, produced in electric arc furnaces – enabling lighter, more efficient structures that could significantly cut costs.
The first phase of the project will look specifically at onshore tower design, the supply chain and commercial case for the solution. Learnings could also be applied to offshore wind turbines and floating wind in subsequent phases.
The proposed design could also be dismantled and recycled, creating a sustainable supply of steel for future production across a variety of industries.
Stephen Kinnock, MP for Aberafan Maesteg said:
It is essential that we use more British and Welsh steel in offshore wind innovation. This research demonstrates how Wales and the UK can remain at the forefront of the transition to renewable energy. By decreasing reliance on imported steel we can bolster energy security, create economic growth, secure regional jobs, and support offshore wind deployment in the Celtic Sea and beyond.
Catryn Newton, Community Investment and Communications Director at Bute Energy, said:
This is Welsh innovation, driving the circular economy in Wales. The chance to be a part of this exciting consortium speaks to Bute Energy’s mission to keep investment in Wales for the benefit of the economy, communities and the supply chain.
If we get this right, we could see end of life turbines that have been helping to power homes and industry across Wales for the past 30 years, recycled and sent to the newer electric arc furnaces. The work of this group is exploring whether that scrap metal can be transformed into a material that could be used in the next generation turbine towers, helping to power Wales’ clean power future.