RES, an independent renewable energy company, has signed a letter of intent to include Modvion’s wooden wind turbine towers in future wind energy projects. The agreement outlines a future order of Modvion towers worth approximately 4 billion Swedish krona.
The partnership means that RES Nordics will promote Modvion’s modular, wood-based, tower technology to their wind turbine suppliers. The goal is for turbine manufacturers to purchase wooden towers to use in RES-developed wind farms.
Switching from emission-intensive materials, like steel and concrete, to a renewable material like wood enables reductions in emissions. The wood also stores carbon, so the tower acts as a carbon sink, thereby reducing emissions for the entire turbine by 30% compared to steel or concrete turbine towers.
“Innovative solutions that make our renewable energy projects even more sustainable is something that we want to promote,” said Matilda Afzelius, CEO of RES in the Nordics. “RES has committed to the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) which focuses on halving emissions before 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions before 2050, and innovations such as Modvion’s are beneficial for reaching such targets.”
The agreement goes on to say that Modvion will continue to supply RES-developed wind farms with around 20 towers per year from 2026-2036. This order totals around 4 billion Swedish krona.
“RES shares our vision of a future with carbon-neutral wind power,” said Otto Lundman, CEO at Modvion. “RES wind farms will become the most sustainable in the world when we provide emission-free towers. We need more companies like RES to lead the way in building renewable energy with renewable materials.”
Modvion’s towers, built with laminated wood, means lighter towers and less need for expensive reinforcements as compared to building with steel. The towers are built in modules that can be transported on standard trucks on public roads, without the need for road-closures.
“In order to generate the most cost-efficient wind energy we need to build taller turbines. That’s where Modvion’s solution becomes very interesting. Being able to reach the stronger winds at heights of 290m while reducing emissions is an offering that we want to include in our projects as soon as possible. This aligns with RES’s vision to create a future where everyone has access to affordable zero carbon energy,” concluded Afzelius.
For more information about Modvion, click here to read in in Issue 2, 2022 issue of Wood in Architecture.
