Vestas May Have Just Created The World's Cleanest Energy Source
Vestas May Have Just Created The World's Cleanest Energy Source
Simple changes can yield massive results.
Wind power is fantastic. It’s one of the lowest carbon forms of energy we have, even lower than solar, and is also one of the cheapest forms of energy we have. Offshore wind power is also the only form of energy that significantly boosts biodiversity, as they act as artificial reefs. But Vestas thinks they can improve it. By changing one simple thing, they may have just made wind power the world’s cleanest form of energy.
Vestas has set out to solve one of the biggest problems with wind turbines. The giant towers of the turbines are mostly made of steel, which has problematic origins. You see, most steel foundries use blast furnaces powered by carbon dioxide belching coal or gas to smelt and refine steel. They also mix coke (a type of processed coal) with the raw iron ore to turn it into steel, releasing even more emissions. As such, for every kilogram of steel produced in blast furnaces, roughly 1.9 kilograms of carbon dioxide is emitted! Alternative furnace technologies exist, like electric arc furnaces and induction furnaces, which release far fewer emissions. Yet, the industry isn’t adopting them, as they cost more to build (but less to run) than blast furnaces. In fact, of the 230 steel plants planned worldwide, only 30% use electric arc or induction furnaces.
This is why the steel used to build wind turbines accounts for roughly 50% of their lifetime emissions!
Vestas’s rather obvious solution is to use low-emission steel from ArcelorMittal steel mill. This steel isn’t derived from ore but rather recycled scrap steel, which requires far less energy to refine. It’s also refined in electric arc furnaces powered by 100% renewable wind power. As such, this is about as eco-friendly as steel gets. What’s more, ArcelorMittal’s low-emission steel gets an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), certified by an independent party, detailing the complete environmental footprint of the product and allowing easier comparison between products.
According to Vestas, this steel has 66% lower emissions by weight than their regular supplier. As such, it can reduce the lifetime emissions of onshore wind turbines by 52%, as it can be used for the entire tower, and 25% for offshore wind turbines, as it can only be used for the top half of the tower. Now, regular wind turbines have a lifetime average emission of 4g of carbon dioxide per kWh. For some comparison, nuclear power also has emissions of 4g/kWh, solar sits at 6g/kWh, and coal is as high as 109g/kWh. But with this incredible steel, offshore wind turbines will have emissions of around 3.5g/kWh, and onshore wind turbines using this steel will have emissions as low as 2.96g/kWh!
Unless you are a renewable energy nerd like myself (trust me, it’s good you aren’t), the figure 2.96g/kWh might not mean all that much to you. But that is, by far, the lowest carbon form of energy I have ever seen! The only thing that could beat it is tidal power, but that has far more significant limitations and far less solid emissions calculations, so it isn’t comparable.
Sadly, these incredible wind turbines aren’t yet ready for broader distribution. They need to be field-tested first. Luckily, Vestas plans to install 52 of them in their upcoming Polish 76-turbine offshore wind project. Once they have proven their reliability, Vestas plans to offer them to customers. As governments around the globe are desperate to reduce the carbon intensity of their energy, these turbines could be a bestseller for Vestas.
This is a stark reminder that our old fossil-fuel infrastructure is holding back renewables. As energy and industry transition towards more efficient, responsible and sustainable practices and technology, their overall emissions will tumble. Our journey to net-zero has the ability to snowball if we are willing to ensure all aspects of our society pull their weight.
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Sources: Carbon Brief, Nasdaq, Vestas, Energy Monitor, Popular Mechanic, 360 Energy