Why Is Height of Wind Towers Important in Power Plants?

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) states that the global capacity of onshore and offshore wind power plants stood at 500 GW in 2018. Additionally, as per the IRENA, the installed capacity of offshore wind power plants stood at 34,367 MW and that of onshore plants stood at 698,909 MW in 2020. The increasing installation of wind energy plants can be credited to the mounting concerns regarding environmental pollution, depleting fossil fuel reserves, and rising public awareness about renewable energy sources.

As wind towers are an essential part of wind power plants, the surging number of these plants will aid the wind tower market in advancing at a 7.4% CAGR during forecast period, from $26,140.5 million in 2015. Wind towers refer to the tall structures that support wind turbines and their components. Towers hold the nacelles and rotors of the turbines and blades. Wind turbines are placed at an optimum height to generate electrical energy from the wind. As higher-capacity turbines require high wind speeds, tall towers are being installed in onshore and offshore plants.

The selection of wind towers is based on the weight and structure of the nacelle. The strength of such towers depends on the type, weight, and gauge of the material used in their construction. At present, Vestas Wind Systems A/S, WINDAR Renovables, KGW Schweriner Maschinen-und Anlagenbau GmbH Suzlon Energy Ltd., CS Wind Corporation, Trinity Structural Towers Inc., General Electric Company, Siemens AG, and, Shanghai Taisheng Wind Power Equipment Co. Ltd. are offering tubular steel, hybrid, concrete, guyed-pole, and lattice towers for wind power plants.

According to P&S Intelligence, Asia-Pacific (APAC) dominated the wind tower market in the preceding years due to the high energy demand and significant growth in the wind energy industry. In recent years, China has installed the largest number of wind towers due to the presence of a large number of wind power plants in the country. According to the IRENA, the installed capacity of wind energy in China increased from 58 GW in 2019 to 111 GW in 2020.

Thus, the shift toward renewable energy sources, rising government support for establishing wind power plants, and soaring concerns regarding air pollution caused due to fossil fuel combustion will propel the installation of wind towers.