Stora Enso and Modvion Partnering on Wood Wind Turbine Towers

Stora Enso Oyi, headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, and wood technology company Modvion AB, headquartered in Hisings Backa, Sweden, are partnering together to make wood the material of choice for wood turbine towers. The purpose of their collaboration’s is to demonstrate the large number of possibilities in using wood in demanding construction.

Modvion builds wind turbine towers with laminated veneer lumber (LVL), which proportionate to its weight is stronger than steel. Stora Enso is a leading supplier of mass timber products, including LVL.

The towers are built in lightweight modules, enabling taller towers and easy transportation on public roads without permits or road reconstructions. Taller towers reach stronger winds, leading to more cost-efficient energy production.

Commenting on the new collaborations, Lars Völkel, executive vice-president of Stora Enso Wood Products Division, said, “We are proud to enter into partnership with Modvion who, like us, strive to push boundaries and demonstrate the possibilities with wood. As one of the largest sawn wood producers and private forest owners in the world we play an important role in the transformation to a greener society.”

“By contributing our expertise to Modvion we can further help make a difference in mitigating climate change and supporting the EU’s drive to increase renewable energy production,” Völkel continued.

Using wood can reduce the CO2 emissions for the tower by 90% while also storing carbon dioxide that has been taken up by trees during their growth. The wood used for advanced constructions such as wind turbine towers can be reused in new wood-based products which provides further long-term climate benefits.

Otto Lundman, Modvion CEO, said, “The commitment of Stora Enso to replace fossil-based materials with renewables is a perfect match for Modvion. To solve the climate crisis, we need more renewable energy as well as increased use of sustainable, wooden constructions. Together with Stora Enso we can enable both.”