Vestas says it has established a partnership with ArcelorMittal to launch a low-carbon-emissions steel offering that significantly reduces the lifetime carbon dioxide emissions from the production of wind turbine towers.

The low carbon-emissions steel is produced using 100% steel scrap which is melted in an electric arc furnace powered by 100% wind energy at the ArcelorMittal steel mill, Industeel Charleroi, in Belgium. The steel slabs are then transformed into heavy plates used for the manufacture of wind turbine towers, at ArcelorMittal’s heavy plate mill in Gijón, Spain.

These heavy plates, made with XCarb recycled and renewably produced heavy plate steel, are initially suitable for the entire onshore wind turbine towers and the top section of offshore wind turbine towers. The low carbon-emissions heavy plate steel has an environmental product declaration, certified by an independent party, detailing the complete environmental footprint of the product and allowing easier comparison between products.

ArcelorMitta says it is the only steel producer to produce low-carbon emissions heavy plate steel in large dimensions, minimizing the need for welding and associated CO? emissions. By utilizing low carbon-emissions steel in the top two sections of an offshore tower, this emissions reduction translates to a 25% reduction in emissions compared with a tower made from steel produced via the conventional steelmaking route. For an entire onshore tower, the CO? reduction is at least 52%.

Even though the low carbon-emissions steel is not yet a standard offering from Vestas, the first project using low carbon-emissions steel will be the Baltic Power offshore wind farm off the coast of Poland.