Wood to become preferred material for wind turbine towers

Sweden – Stora Enso and Modvion, a wood technology company, are teaming up to make wood the preferred material for wind turbine towers.

The goal of the collaboration is to show how versatile wood can be in demanding constructions. Modvion constructs wind turbine towers out of laminated veneer lumber (LVL), which is proportionately stronger than steel.

Taller towers

These towers are constructed in lightweight modules that can be transported on public roads without the need for permits or road reconstruction, allowing for the construction of taller towers at a lower cost. Stronger winds can be reached by taller towers, resulting in more cost-effective energy production.

Furthermore, by using wood, a readily available and renewable resource, the tower’s CO2 emissions can be reduced by 90% while also storing CO2 that has been taken up by trees during their growth.