A Swedish company is the Ikea of wind and produces modular wooden turbines that are environmentally friendly and easier to transport than metal blades
Innovation consists not only on discovering new materials, but also reinventing and rediscovering materials known since the dawn of civilization. Wood is one of them. The industry is already discovering the potential of wood in many sectors, i.e. the car made of wood fiber. A new revolution comes from Sweden thanks to the company Modvion, which presented the first wind turbine blade made mainly of wood.
The turbine guarantees the same performance as today’s metal ones but has many advantages. The structure is almost completely made of wood, the biocompatible material par excellence. The construction of the turbine uses a limited amount of energy and heat and has a positive impact on the environment. The wood itself comes from sustainable tree plantations which, during their growth, reduce CO2 in the air. The structure of the turbines is modular, a feature that drastically reduces transport and installation costs.
At today, Modvion has installed the first 30 meters high turbine but they plan to build turbines from 80 to 140 meters high, multiplying the energy produced. Otto Lundman, CEO of Modvion says: “This is a major breakthrough that paves the way for the next generation of wind turbines. Laminated wood is stronger than steel at the same weight and by building in modules, the wind turbines can be taller. By building in wood, we also reduce carbon dioxide emissions in manufacturing and instead store carbon dioxidein the design”.