Wind power generators can be made from timber according to German company TimberTower GmbH. The company has a 100m high tower made from wood that saves around 300 tons of steel additionally, emissions generated in the manufacture of the towers are offset by the wood which acts as a carbon sink. Source: Energy Matters
TimberTower’s wood turbine towers offer logistical advantages. In some places, the height of a tower is governed by physical restrictions relating to roads and rules for transporting oversized loads. The TimberTower components can be transported to a site in shipping containers and the system allows for towers of up to 200 metres high to be constructed.
The tower is made from glued laminated timber panels assembled on-site into a closed, hollow body with a hexagonal, octagonal or dodecagonal cross section. The raw wood material is sourced from sustainably managed forests and is PEFC certified.
The manufacturing costs of the timber tower are reportedly substantially lower than those of steel structures.
TimberTower is constructing the first 100m wooden tower in Hannover, Germany that will produce electricity for about 1000 households.
The company says its solution meets all current requirements for insurance, certification and fire protection regulations and guarantees a minimum serviceable life of 20 years. All materials used in the tower can be recycled.
