The world’s first wooden wind turbine blades have just been installed in Germany, offering a far more sustainable alternative to current materials.
The key benefits include:
✅ 78% reduction in carbon footprint, due to using far less energy during manufacture
✅ 20% reduction in cost, due to higher levels of manufacturing automation
✅ 100% biodegradable.
At end of life, the wooden blades don’t have to be left to biodegrade, they can also be reused or repurposed for construction of other products.
Voodin Blade Technology is the company behind this. The material they are using is LVL or Laminated Veneer Lumber which is very strong and with similar characteristics to glass fibre. According to Voodin’s tests, the wooden blades are even more durable than the current fibreglass blades.
The blades in the picture are 19 metres long, which is quite small by industry standards, but 60 and 80 metre prototypes are on the way.
Voodin also sees no reason why their blades couldn’t be used for offshore wind as well.
Cheaper, stronger and more sustainable. What’s not to like? Let me know your thoughts below.
