1 minute read / April 3, 2024
At first glance, the wind-turbine tower that rises from the green landscape in the Swedish municipality of Skara looks like any other. It reaches a height of 105 metres and, at the top, supports a familiar trio of big rotating blades.
But unlike most wind-turbine towers, which are made of steel, this one is wooden. It represents the first commercial installation by Swedish engineering company Modvion – and it could point to the future of wind energy.
Towering wood
When it comes to renewable energy, wood can make wind power even greener by serving as the material for the towers. What’s more, wood can help wind turbines to become cheaper and more powerful, providing an economic incentive on top of the environmental one, according to Modvion Chief Executive Officer Otto Lundman.
Modvion received EU funding to advance the goal of high-altitude wind turbines with wooden towers. The project ran from October 2020 through September 2023.
