Vestas has established a partnership with ArcelorMittal to launch a low-emission steel offering that should significantly reduce lifetime carbon dioxide emissions from the production of wind turbine towers. Vestas sees this as part of its sustainability strategy which also includes addressing the materials it uses to make wind turbines.
The low-emission steel is produced using 100% steel scrap which is melted in an electric arc furnace powered by 100% wind energy at the ArcelorMittal steel mill, Industeel Charleroi, in Belgium. The steel slabs are then transformed at ArcelorMittal’s heavy plate mill in Gijon, Spain into the heavy plates used for the manufacture of wind turbine towers. These plates made with low-emission steel are initially suitable for the entire onshore wind turbine tower, and for the top section of offshore wind turbine towers. The steel has an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), certified by an independent party, detailing the complete environmental footprint of the product, and allowing easier comparison between products.
Utilising low-emission steel in the top two sections of an offshore tower would translate to an approximately 25% reduction of emission compared to a tower made from steel made via conventional steelmaking route. For an entire onshore tower, the CO2 reduction is at least 52%.
Steel and iron constitute 80-90% of a wind turbine's material mass, and approximately 50% of a turbine’s total lifecycle emissions. With the partnership with ArcelorMittal, Vestas believes it is taking an important step forward to reduce CO2 emissions occurred in its supply chain and can achieve a 66% decrease in emission intensity per kg steel compared with steel produced via the conventional steelmaking route.
Low emission steel is not yet a standard offering from Vestas, – the first project utilising it will be the Baltic Power Offshore Wind Project off the coast of Poland. During 2025, Vestas will start the construction of the 1.2 GW array: it will supply, install, and commission 76 V236-15.0 MW wind turbines for the project. The top section of each of 52 towers out of the 76 will be made with low-emission steel.
Laurent Plasman, CMO Industry, ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products, commented: “This partnership sends a strong message that it is possible, today, to start building the renewable energy infrastructure needed in Europe, with low carbon-emissions steel made with a European supply chain. Having a strong partnership throughout the supply chain is vital to achieve this … with stronger public policy support for the use of low carbon-emissions steel in the building of renewables infrastructure, this project could be the first of many to provide wind energy for homes and industry across Europe.”
Image courtesy of Vestas
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