The ‘greener tower’ consists of steel plates made by German steel manufacturer Salzgitter AG, which Siemens Gamesa said reduces carbon emissions by at least 63% compared to conventional steel.
The European manufacturer said the new tower will be available for both onshore and offshore turbines for projects to be installed from 2024 onward, and a deal for the supply of the first 'GreenerTowers' to a wind farm was already secured. The company is partnering with German renewable energy firm RWE Renewables to supply 36 of them to the 1GW Thor offshore wind project currently planned in the Danish North Sea.
The project will comprise 72 Siemens Gamesa 14-236 DD turbines on completion according to Windpower Intelligence, the data and research division of Windpower Monthly. Turbine installation is expected in 2026.
Siemens Gamesa said a ton of steel produces an average 1.91 tons of CO2 emissions during manufacturing but it is setting a threshold of 0.7 tons of CO2-equivalent emissions per ton of steel to reduce emissions in the supply chain for turbine manufacture.
Salzgitter uses several processes to reduce the carbon footprint of steel used in the GreenerTower, including using scrap steel, reducing energy during the manufacturing process, and using more renewable sources of energy to power production.
A spokesperson for Siemens Gamesa told Windpower Monthly the company aims to produce a fully recyclable turbine and a carbon neutral turbine by 2040 to further reduce its carbon emissions.
