A German company is aiming to help crack the wind industry’s sustainability puzzle by developing wooden turbine blades.
Voodin Blade Technology has struck a deal with Finnish timber specialist Stora Enso to develop environmental alternatives for the industry and create a competitive supply chain.
They are currently producing and installing a 20 metre blade for a 0.5 megawatt (MW), with plans in the pipeline for an 80m blade.
Voodin Blades is a German-based start-up firm developing sustainable rotor blades for wind turbines.
The partnership with Stora Enso support the latter’s strategic offering of innovative solutions to replace less environmental-friendly materials with renewable ones made from wood.
Lars Volkel, executive vice president, wood products division, Stora Enso, said: “With the current energy crisis and ambitious decarbonisation goals, wind energy has never been more in demand. Through this partnership with Voodin Blades we further accelerate our ability to develop a sustainable and competitive supply chain for the growing market of wind turbine blades.”
Wind power blades are typically made using fibreglass and carbon fibre, energy-intensive plastics that are very difficult to recycle.
Tens of thousands of ageing blades today end up in landfills, a practice industry is trying to avoid.
By developing sustainable wooden turbine blades, Stora Enso and Voodin Blades say they can make the blades lighter and reduce the overall dependency on fossil fuel extraction.
Joachim Knapp, mechanical engineer and automation expert with Voodin Blades, said: “The wind industry as a key driver towards carbon neutrality needs to become 100% sustainable and environmentally friendly. With the installation of the 20 m blade, we are opening a path towards a more sustainable future. In time we will start to develop and manufacture blades for future multi-megawatt turbines.”
The first 20 m blade will be developed using Stora Enso’s LVL, a mass timber product that has a high load-bearing capacity that easily supports largescale rotary blades.
Unlike steel and concrete, LVL is relatively lightweight to transport on-site without heavy-duty equipment, as well as being a renewable material with a minimal carbon footprint.
The 20 m blade will be installed on a 0.5-megawatt turbine near Warburg, Germany by the end of 2022.
In addition to its collaboration with Voodin Blades, Stora Enso recently announced a partnership with wood technology company Modvion to establish wood as the material of choice for wind turbine towers.
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