Image: Modvion
Last Tuesday, development company Modvion erected Sweden’s first wooden wind power tower just outside Gothenburg. An important step in the development of more cost-efficient wind power, which is soon to be the EU’s largest power source.
“This is a major breakthrough that paves the way for the next generation of wind turbines,” says Otto Lundman, CEO of Modvion. “Laminated wood is stronger than steel at the same weight and by building in modules, the wind turbines can be taller.”
It is this increased height that makes the wooden tower especially interesting, as higher wind turbines are capable of catching faster winds and therefore generate more energy.
The tower’s lightweight material and modular design enable energy producers to capture higher wind speeds at lower cost. Image: Modvion
Almost entirely made out of wood, the solution’s climate impact is said to be close to zero. “A Modvion tower has a carbon sequestration large enough to make wind power carbon-neutral from the start,” Lundman states.
While the newly placed tower will be used for research and measures only thirty meters, two Swedish energy companies are collaborating with Modvion to erect wooden wind towers with heights of up to 150 meters and beyond.