New “groundbreaking” research aimed at transforming the design and manufacture of steel onshore wind turbine towers and making them more efficient and sustainable has been launched.
The Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult is leading the research and development team from companies including Tata Steel UK, RWE, Bute Energy, Hutchinson Engineering and Ledwood.
Most wind turbine towers currently built in the UK rely on imported thick steel plate for construction, creating a potential bottleneck for renewable energy projects.
The latest project is expected to support the development of a tower design that uses thin strip, coil-based, low-emission steel, produced in electric arc furnaces – enabling lighter, more efficient structures that could significantly cut costs.
The steel wind turbine tower would be built using design methods widely used in the marine and aerospace sectors to create strong, lightweight structures.
Dr Cristina Garcia-Duffy, Director of Research and Engineering at ORE Catapult, said: “This innovation represents a major step forward in wind turbine tower design, with the potential to significantly enhance technical performance while also delivering substantial economic and environmental benefits for Wales and the wider UK.
“By combining low emission steel with advanced engineering and design techniques, we are targeting meaningful reductions in both lifecycle costs and carbon emissions. This approach not only improves the sustainability of turbine infrastructure but also strengthens UK competitiveness in the sector.”
The project has won £174,000 SMART Flexible Innovation Support from the Welsh Government.
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