Wind turbine maker Vestas is to use ArcelorMittal’s low carbon emission steel for its wind turbines for the Baltic Power offshore wind farm in Poland, the two companies said Jan. 16.
The steel is produced using 100% steel scrap melted in an electric arc furnace powered by 100% wind energy at the ArcelorMittal steel mill, Industeel Charleroi, in Belgium, Europe’s largest steel producer said.
The steel slabs are then transformed into heavy plates used to make wind turbine towers at ArcelorMittal’s heavy plate mill in Gijon, Spain. The steel of the heavy plate has also the EDP certification, the Environmental Product declaration that it is certificated by an independent party, detailing the complete environmental footprint of the product.
By using low carbon-emissions steel in the top two sections of an offshore tower, emissions will be 25% lower than for a tower made from steel produced via conventional steelmaking. For an entire onshore tower, the CO2 reduction is at least 52%.
Overall, steel constitutes 80%-90% of of the material needed for a wind turbine, meaning Vestas could see a 66% decrease in emission intensity per kg steel.
During 2025, Vestas will start the construction of the offshore wind farm, expected to generate up to up to 1.2 GW and ultimately supply clean electricity to more than 1.5 million households in Poland. Vestas will supply, install, and commission 76 wind turbines for the Baltic Power project, of which around 52 will be made with low carbon-emissions steel.
The Baltic Power offshore wind farm, a joint project of ORLEN Group and Northland Power, will be the first in the world to be built using Low-emission steel produced almost entirely from recycled raw material in an electric arc furnace powered by renewable energy. The use of this material will reduce the turbine’s life cycle carbon footprint by 10%.
Energy transition is gaining momentum in Central Europe and the Baltic Power wind farm is its landmark. Once it becomes operational in 2026, an additional almost 1.2 GW of capacity will be added to the Polish energy system, providing about 3% of the country’s total electricity demand.
In the following years, an additional 5.2 GW will be added, thanks to the construction of further wind farms in 5 new ORLEN Group concessions in the Baltic Sea.
“Being the largest investment in renewable sources in this part of Europe, our project is setting new benchmarks,” Jaroslaw Broda, CEO Baltic Power, said. “The use of low-emission steel from Vestas and ArcelorMittal in our wind farm underscores our commitment to innovation and environmental stewardship. We are proud to lead the way in transforming Poland’s energy landscape as we progress towards completing the construction by 2026.”
Author Annalisa Villa, annalisa.villa@
