Swedish start-up Modvion is currently erecting the tallest wooden wind turbine tower for an electricity company, demonstrating the feasibility of the concept and its real commercial appeal.
For centuries, mankind has used the wind to power a variety of machines. Even today, this renewable energy is essential to our development. However, the wood used in the past has been replaced by steel, one of the icons of an industrialized society guilty of global warming. So why not go back to basics?
Modularity as a watchword
For Modvion, the idea is not so stupid. Far from seeking to equip wind turbines with wooden blades, the start-up has focused on manufacturing their masts from this renewable material. After a conclusive test in 2020 with the installation of a 30-meter high wooden mast, it has repeated the feat since the beginning of the year with the assembly of a… 105-meter high mast.
Installed in Sweden, the wind turbine will be equipped with a 2 megawatt turbine manufactured by the Danish giant Vestas, which for some years has been one of the shareholders of Modvion. The set will reach 150 meters in height, greatly exceeding the start-up’s previous record and raising its technique a little further to the scale of the tallest wind turbines in the world.
To achieve this, Modvion divides its mast into 7 cylindrical sections, which are then stacked on top of each other. These are themselves divided into 4 parts along their entire length. The whole structure is made of laminated wood, which means that all the modules can be manufactured in the company’s factory and then transported and assembled on site once the foundations have been built.
© Modvion
Wood, material of the future?
According to Modvion, laminated wood has several advantages for the wind turbine industry. While it can withstand the weather, it also offers a better strength-to-weight ratio than the various types of steel currently used for wind turbine masts. In addition, this material is lighter and more modular, making it easier to transport mast components on open roads.
But for Otto Lundman, CEO of the company, the key argument in favor of this approach lies elsewhere. ” Wood makes it possible to build taller towers at a lower cost “, he declares, “ which makes wind power more efficient, since the winds are stronger and more stable at higher altitudes. Indeed, the industry needs height to deliver better yields, and it could greatly benefit from a renewable and recyclable material that meets these requirements. In addition, wood would have the advantage of allowing it to achieve carbon neutrality much more quickly than with current solutions.
The next step for Modvion, dubbed “ sky-high will be the assembly of a mast capable of supporting a 6 megawatt turbine. And, in the years to come, who knows, why not offer its skills for offshore wind farms.
Source : Electrek
26