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Whilst wind turbines are generally manufactured using steel, iron or fiberglass, Sweden-based Modvion makes them out of wood. [One of the major benefits of using wood is that it is strong in relation to its weight, which means you can build taller wind turbines (using less space) (for the curious, Norwegian spruce – picea abies – is one of the best woods in that regard). Another advantage is that wood stores a lot of carbon (in fact, Modvion claims its wind turbines produce 90% less emissions)]. Specifically, Modvion has chosen to use laminated veneer lumber (LVL), which is similar to plywood (as most veneer layers are placed with the fibers in the same direction), with good strength & flexibility (for the inquisitive, see this good overview of wood & wood components). As there’s no Swedish manufacturers of LVL today, Modvion sources special quality LVL from Finland-based Stora Enso & Metsä (which through its CVC – Metsä Spring – also invested in Fiberwood). They deliver 15-meter-long boards to Modvion’s “factory 1”, where they’re cut into a conical shape & put together in layers, which are then glued together in an arched hydraulic press. The pressure is released when the glue has dried & the components are sawn into the exact measurements with two robotic sawblades (0.2mm tolerance cut). Before the components leave the factory, they’re coated in a strong polyurea. At the building site, it’s time to lift & mount them on top of each other (each 15-meter cylinder has fittings that are glued into milled grooves). Note, as wind turbines are subject to dynamic loads that can be (very) high & come from different directions, Modvion’s tech has & continuous to be rigorously tested. Moreover, Modvion has patented its modular assembly approach, which also makes tower components easier to transport. The company already has a 30-meter wind turbine prototype in use on an island near Gothenburg. The new funding (said to have been raised via an oversubscribed convertible note) will help Modvion deliver its 1st commercial installation, a 150-meter structure anticipated to produce 2MW of electricity (ps: base diameter 6m, top diameter 3m, 300mm walls – though according to lab tests, it will be possible to build towers with much thinner walls in the future). Interestingly, the blades will come from Germany-based Voodin Blades (DE) (€n.a.), which – you guessed it – make blades out of wood. For the construction, Modvion partners with Stora Enso, with the end-client (i.e. that will own & run it) Sweden-based Varberg Energi. Subsequently, Modvion proposes to begin work on a 6MW wind turbine, set to become among the largest deployed onshore. Planning is also underway for “factory 2”, with the technique being fine-tuned for serial production by 2025. Demand for Modvion wind turbines is breezy: case in point, Sweden-based RES (the worlds largest independent player in renewable energy) is said to want 20 towers annually from 2026 for 10 years (a contract potentially worth €353m). Otto Lundman (CEO) & David Olivegren (Concept Engineer), who met through the Chalmers Entrepreneurship Village, founded Modvion in 2015. <Source: tech.eu, dagensinfrastruktur.se, forestry.com, electrek.com, cleanthinking.de, rechargenews.com>
