Europe is about to take another big step toward greener energy with a new wind farm in the Baltic Sea. What makes this development special is that the turbines powering this farm will be made with recycled steel, significantly reducing the carbon footprints of those using this energy.
A carbon footprint is essentially an estimate of the carbon pollution that an individual or organization releases into the atmosphere. The larger the footprint, the greater the negative impact on our planet.
Now, when it comes to companies, their carbon footprints can be quite substantial because of the scale of their operations. A significant portion of the world's carbon pollution comes from a relatively small number of large companies and organizations. This means that when companies take steps to reduce their carbon pollution, the potential positive impact on the environment is huge.
Bloomberg reported that the wind farm project is a partnership between the world's largest turbine maker and a steel company: Vestas Wind Systems A/S and ArcelorMittal SA. Together, they will power more than 1.5 million Polish homes. These offshore turbines will pioneer using recycled steel to build towers, the part of the turbine that the blades spin on.
The use of recycled steel will reduce pollution created along the supply chain by a staggering 66% compared to traditional turbine models, according to a release about the project. This development is significant because while the power generated by conventional turbines is green, the process of building them can be dirty because of the energy-intensive materials like steel and iron that are traditionally used.
Lisa Ekstrand, Vestas' head of sustainability, explained to Bloomberg: "For a long time, we've been zooming in on steel in [particular] because we have known since the beginning that it's a key lever for the world to meet its climate commitments and to reduce emissions."
This move toward greener turbines is part of a broader effort within the renewables sector to become more sustainable. Companies like Vestas are focusing more on the environmental impact of the entire lifecycle of wind turbines.
Vestas says it will be sourcing its steel from ArcelorMittal's mill in Belgium, where it will be made from scrap using an electric arc furnace, a process that requires less energy than making new steel from ore. The steel will then be turned into heavy plates in Spain before reaching Vestas factories in Europe.
Using this steel in the top two parts of an offshore tower will cut the tower's pollution by 25%, per Vestas. For onshore turbines, where the steel can be used for the entire tower, the pollution reduction will be even greater.
Vestas is optimistic about the future demand for greener turbines. The company expects demand to increase, especially with projects like the Baltic Power farm, which is expected to be completed in 2026.
Innovations like these will play a vital role in diversifying clean energy sources and reducing pollution, ultimately benefiting both the environment and human health.
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