Offshore staff
ZAMUDIO, Spain — Siemens Gamesa says it has developed a wind turbine, the GreenerTower, made from “more sustainable steel."
Wind towers typically comprise about 80% steel plates, and tower production accounts for more than one-third of all wind-turbine-related CO2 emissions, the company said. Its new design targets a CO2 reduction of at least 63% in the tower steel plates compared to conventional steel.
A new qualification process will ensure that only 0.7 t of CO2e emissions are permitted per ton of steel, the company added, while maintaining the same steel properties and quality. The current norm, it claims, is 1.91 t of CO2 emitted for each ton of steel produced.
RWE and Siemens Gamesa have agreed to develop 36 GreenerTowers for the 1,000-MW Thor offshore wind power project in Denmark, with a total of 72 SG 14-236 DD offshore wind turbines set to be installed from 2026 onward.
CEO RWE Offshore Wind Sven Utermöhlen said, “We are already testing the world’s first recyclable wind turbine blades by Siemens Gamesa under real-life conditions.”
German steel manufacture Salzgitter and its heavy plate mill Ilsenburger Grobblech is the first supplier to be qualified for the new manufacturing process, which involves increased use of scrap steel, less energy-intensive steel manufacturing processes, and greater use of renewable energy sources. The electric arc furnace will be supplied with electricity generated from offshore wind.
Last month Aker Solutions revealed it joined the decarbonizing First Movers Coalition and committed to a frame agreement for steel purchases, including some green steel to be used in topsides manufacture.
04.21.2023
