Vestas unveils new wind turbine made from low

While these initiatives are commendable, experts have also pointed out that the renewable energy uptick in recent years is not without its environmental impact. Wind turbines, for instance, are made using steel, iron, fiberglass, and plastic, each having energy-intensive production processes and significant environmental impact. 

To reduce the impact of large-scale adoption of this technology, original equipment manufacturers such as Vestas have been looking to reduce the emissions involved in their production. The low-emission steel turbine is the result of these efforts. 

How is the low-emission steel made? 

Vestas collaborated with Luxembourg City-headquartered multinational steel manufacturer ArcelorMittal to source low-emission steel. Low-emission steel is manufactured using 100 percent steel scraps. At its Industeel Charleroi in Belgium, the steel maker can melt the scrap in an electric furnace powered only by wind energy. 

The molten steel is then allowed to cool into steel slabs, which are then transformed into heavy plates for manufacturing turbine towers. As per the company's press release, the low-emission steel is currently suitable to make an entire onshore wind turbine but only the top section of offshore wind turbine towers. 

Reduction in emissions achieved

Steel and iron constitute up to 90 percent of the turbine's material mass, contributing to about 50 percent of the turbine's total lifecycle emissions. By using low-emission steel, Vestas aims to bring this number down considerably. As per the press release, Vestas aims to achieve a 66 percent decline in emission intensity per kg with low-emission steel compared to conventionally made steel. 

More specifically, in offshore turbine towers, where only the top two sections will be made with low-emission steel, the reduction in emissions is expected to be 25 percent. For onshore turbines, where the entire tower is made from upcycled steel, the CO2 reduction will be 52 percent. 

"Finding ways to decarbonize the emissions produced during the raw material extraction and refinement of steel is vital for us and the industry in general," said Dieter Dehoorne, Head of Global Procurement at Vestas. "Vestas sees the partnership with ArcelorMittal and the adoption of low-emission steel as a significant lever in reducing CO2 emissions within the wind industry."

The product offering will be available to Vestas customers after some time. Instead, the company is expected to roll out its first batch of low-emission steel turbines next year when Vestas begins constructing the 1.2 GW Baltic Power Offshore Wind Project off the coast of Poland. 

The equipment manufacturer will supply and install 76 V236-15.0 MW wind turbines for this project. Of these top towers, 52 turbines will be made using low-emission steel.