Modvion Completes World’s Tallest Wood Wind Turbine in Sweden

Swedish start-up Modvion has successfully completed the world’s tallest wood wind turbine, reaching an impressive height of 150 meters (492 feet), the BBC reported (12-27-23). Located just outside of Gothenburg, Sweden, the turbine is supplying electricity to the grid and powering nearly 400 homes with its 2-megawatt generator.

Steel, not wood, has been the dominant material for turbine construction, but it is not without its limitations, particularly for projects on land. As demand has grown for taller turbines that harvest stronger winds with larger generators, the diameter of the cylindrical steel towers to support them has had to grow too. Roads, tunnels, bridges, and roundabouts can constrain shipping, effectively limiting how tall new steel turbines can be. In contrast, Modvion’s wooden towers can be transported in modules, then assembled onsite.

The strength of Modvion’s 150-meter tower lies in the 144 layers of laminated veneer lumber (LVL), with varying grain in each 3mm-thick layer of spruce. This innovative use of wood and glue allows for a lighter construction compared to steel, enabling the building of taller turbines with reduced material.

According to the BBC, Modvion says using wood instead of steel eliminates the wind turbines’ carbon footprint entirely, making them carbon negative. About 200 trees went into the tower.