“GreenerTower” to Reduce Turbine Carbon Footprint by 20 Percent
Siemens Gamesa has launched a wind turbine tower made of greener steel that it said would reduce its turbine carbon footprint by up to 20 percent.
The steel is produced by increasing the use of scrap steel and renewable energy sources and reducing the energy intensity of the steel manufacturing processes, Siemens Gamesa said. The company has given suppliers a maximum threshold of 0.7 tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions per tonne of steel manufactured for its turbines, down from a current average level of 1.91 tonnes.
German steel manufacturing company Salzgitter was the first supplier to be qualified.
The tower, dubbed “GreenerTower”, will be available as an option for onshore and offshore wind turbines for projects to be installed from 2024 onward. Wind developer RWE has already placed an order for 36 GreenerTowers for its 1,000-MW Thor project, the largest offshore wind farm in Denmark.
“Wind power is one of the cornerstones of the green energy transition,” said Maximilian Schnippering, head of sustainability at Siemens Gamesa. “With more than 600 GW of new capacity to be installed worldwide in the next five years, it is important for the wind industry to reduce its carbon footprint. Our project to address emissions with greener steel is one such solution. With the launch of the GreenerTower, Siemens Gamesa leads the efforts to further push wind circularity and net-zero emissions.”
In related news, Siemens Gamesa, a member of the Breakbulk Global Shipper Network, announced it had inked a 1.5-GW deal with developers PGE Group and Orsted to supply turbines for the Baltica 2 offshore wind farm off Poland’s Baltic Sea coast.
Baltica 2, Poland’s largest offshore project, is expected to come online in 2027.
“This latest deal for Baltica 2 will cement the foundations for a successful rollout of offshore wind power in Poland. The Baltic Sea can provide huge opportunities for the growth of the industry in coming years, and we stand committed with Poland and our partners to develop it further,” said Marc Becker, CEO of Siemens Gamesa’s offshore business.
Poland is targeting 28 GW of new offshore wind capacity by 2050.
This year’s main stage programme at Breakbulk Europe 2023 includes a “Managing the Offshore Wind Boom” session featuring a panel of industry professionals debating the readiness of the supply chain to cope with increased demand from offshore wind developers.
Breakbulk Europe 2023 is taking place on 6-8 June at Rotterdam Ahoy. Click here to reserve your tickets.
