Enercon is set to expand its tower portfolio with the development of additional and taller hybrid steel towers (HST) for its EP5 turbine. These new tower variants will allow Enercon to offer turbines with higher hub heights worldwide, with deliveries expected as early as 2026.
Previously, Enercon customers planning to install EP5 turbines with high hub heights could only choose hybrid towers made from a combination of concrete and steel segments. The new HST technology aims to meet the growing demand for taller wind turbines by providing a more versatile solution.
“In order to be able to deliver for our customers in the coming years and to prevent the onshore expansion, which has finally gained momentum, from stalling again due to limited capacities, we are expanding the tower portfolio for the EP5 with an additional technology,” said Maria-Josefa Brand, Tower Product Manager at Enercon Product Management.
The HST tower design combines segments of a modular steel tower (MST), which consists of folded steel plates bolted together for the base, with segments of a tubular steel tower (ST) that are placed on top of the MST sections. This hybrid design has already been proven in practice and can be used for new tower variants with high hub heights in a timely manner.
The new towers offer several advantages, including easy transportation, simple installation, and the ability to localize production without significant effort, which is especially beneficial for countries with local content requirements.
Timo Muller, EP5 Platform Manager at Enercon Product Management, explained, “Due to the transport restrictions for HT towers, high hub heights were previously reserved for our customers in Germany.”
As an initial offering, Enercon will provide new HST tower variants, including the ‘HST 162m' for the E-175 EP5 E1/E2, the ‘HST 175m' for the E-175 EP5 E2, and the ‘HST 166m' for the E-160 EP5 E3.
