Modvion, the Swedish startup building the world's tallest wooden turbine tower, uses wood to harness wind energy with great potential in the future.
Modvion's wood turbine has a capacity of 2 megawatts. Photo: Modvion
Modvion's brand new turbine, installed near Gothenburg, stands 150 metres (490 feet) tall from the base of the tower to the tip of its tallest blade. The 2 megawatt generator at the top of the turbine has started supplying electricity to the Swedish grid, enough to power around 400 homes. Otto Lundman, the company's chief executive, hopes to increase the height of the wooden turbine even further, the BBC reported on December 28.
On the horizon near Modvion’s project, several similarly shaped turbines spin. Instead of wood, they are primarily made of steel, like most turbine towers in the world. Strong and durable, steel allows for the construction of giant turbines and allows wind farms to be located both onshore and offshore. But steel has its limitations, especially for land-based projects.
As demand for taller turbines, stronger winds and larger generators grew, the diameter of the steel cylindrical towers that supported the structures also needed to increase. With the route riddled with tunnels, bridges and roundabouts, many operators shared the headache of transporting the massive metal to the turbine site, and the height restrictions on steel turbines became too great.
From the outside, the Modvion’s wooden turbine and its steel counterpart are virtually indistinguishable. Both have a thick white coating for protection, and the blades are mostly made of fiberglass, which is attached to a generator that produces electricity as the blades spin. It’s only when you look inside the turbine tower that the differences become apparent. The tower walls are covered in rough wood. Lundman says a big advantage of the turbine is that by using wood and glue, the tower can be built in smaller, more transportable modules. This makes it easier to build tall towers and transport them to difficult locations.
But more parts require more trucks, more workers, and more time to install, said Dr. Maximilian Schnippering, sustainability director at Siemens Gamesa, one of the world’s largest turbine manufacturers. Schnippering sees the modular system as an advantage, and says a wooden turbine tower can support a steel tower. Steel can be used for modular designs, but the assembly of parts adds to the cost and maintenance.
Modvion’s turbine tower uses about 200 trees. Modvion says it hopes to build a taller turbine soon and open a facility to produce 100 modular wood turbines a year by 2027.
An Khang (According to BBC )
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