Sweden’s Vattenfall has ordered 14 Vestas V136 4.5-megawatt turbines for its 63-megawatt Clashindarroch 2 onshore wind farm near Huntly in northeast Scotland, the companies said.
The contract covers supply, installation and commissioning of the turbines. Vattenfall said the project aligns with its target to cut supplier carbon footprints by 50% by 2030.
Vestas said it will deliver turbine towers manufactured using low-emission steel, marking the first onshore wind project for both companies to feature the material. Vattenfall said the approach will reduce the towers’ overall carbon footprint by about 36%.
The steel is produced from 100% scrap melted in an electric arc furnace powered by wind energy at ArcelorMittal’s Industeel Charleroi plant in Belgium, according to the companies.
“We’re delighted to have secured a turbine contract with Vestas, whose use of steel with a verified lower carbon intensity represents an important step in reducing embodied carbon in wind turbine components,” said Stuart Matthews, Vattenfall’s senior project manager for Clashindarroch 2.
“As we move into the construction phase, and later into operations, we remain focused on creating local value across the project lifecycle,” Matthews added.
Anna Schlasberg Wachtmeister, Vestas vice president for sales in the north, said: “Vestas is proud to partner with Vattenfall on our first onshore wind project using low-emission steel towers.
“By continuously reducing environmental and social impacts, while maximising the value of wind energy, we aim to raise the bar for the entire wind industry,” she said.
Clashindarroch 2 will comprise 14 turbines with a total capacity of 63MW and is expected to offset around 90,844 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, Vattenfall said. The project is also forecast to provide about £315,000 per year in community benefit funding, with first power targeted for summer 2027.
