Stalatube has selected Outokumpus duplex stainless steel as one of the main construction materials for its new StalaWind wind power towers. Duplex is a strong and durable material, which provides very good features in this demanding application. The selected stainless duplex grade is LDX 2101®. It is particularly suitable for wind power towers due to its strength, because it allows thinner walls, resulting in lighter structure and cost savings, as less welding is required, maintains Pekka Heinonen, sales manager for Outokumpu.
Because duplex stainless steel is so strong, the towers are remarkably lighter compared to the conventional towers in the market today. The light structure makes both the transportation and the onsite installation easier and more cost efficient.
Markku Koponen, director of Stalatubes Energy Sector, has stated, The turbine manufacturers demand taller towers, because at heights of more than 100 meters, the energy output of the towers increases by an average of one percent every additional meter. As a solution, Stalatube has designed steel hybrid towers, essentially made of stainless steel tubes that can take turbines up to heights of 140 to 160 meters or more.
During the lifecycle of wind power tower, stainless steel does not require maintenance, and when tower reaches the end of its life after 20 to 30 years, stainless steel can be either reused or fully recycled.