Ilsenburger Grobblech and Siemens Gamesa Collaborate on Green Offshore Wind Towers for Thor Project

Ilsenburger Grobblech and Siemens Gamesa Collaborate on Green Offshore Wind Towers for Thor Project

(IN BRIEF) Ilsenburger Grobblech GmbH, in partnership with Siemens Gamesa, is supplying sustainable, low-emission steel plates for the Thor offshore wind farm. The GreenerTowers, with their reduced carbon footprint, represent a significant step in achieving sustainable wind energy solutions. The project, which will be completed by 2027, will generate over 1,000 MW of renewable energy for Denmark.

(PRESS RELEASE) SALZGITTER, 17-Feb-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Ilsenburger Grobblech GmbH (ILG), a subsidiary of Salzgitter AG, and Siemens Gamesa have secured a significant partnership for the production of heavy plates for the upcoming Thor offshore wind farm. The contract involves the delivery of approximately 25,000 tonnes of steel for the construction of 36 Siemens Gamesa “GreenerTowers” — a groundbreaking initiative in sustainable wind energy.

What sets the Siemens Gamesa GreenerTower apart is its reduced carbon footprint, with CO2eq emissions of under 700 kg per tonne of steel. This marks a pivotal development, as wind tower production traditionally accounts for more than two-thirds of the total CO2eq emissions from wind turbines. Introduced into Siemens Gamesa’s product range in 2024, these towers will now be used in the offshore Thor wind farm, located off the coast of Jutland, Denmark, in the North Sea. The Thor project, slated for completion by the end of 2027, will feature 72 GreenerTowers and is set to generate over 1,000 MW of renewable energy — enough to power more than a million Danish homes. This makes Thor Denmark’s largest offshore wind farm to date.

The steel plates for the 36 GreenerTowers will be supplied by Ilsenburger Grobblech GmbH and Mannesmann Grobblech GmbH (MGB). “We are proud to be the first certified suppliers to provide low-emission heavy plates for such a pioneering wind project. This achievement is possible thanks to our investment in advanced equipment, including a new transport line and an overhead crane for finishing, enabling us to supply 18-24 meter long plates for large-scale projects like Thor,” says Oliver Laubner, Sales Manager at Ilsenburger Grobblech GmbH.

Maximilian Schnippering, Head of Sustainability at Siemens Gamesa, commented on the importance of this innovation: “Seeing the GreenerTowers take shape in the real world is a momentous step. The energy transition requires collaboration across the entire value chain to reduce CO2eq emissions. If all towers installed in a year were GreenerTowers, it would be equivalent to removing over 466,000 cars from European roads annually. Such innovations are crucial to meeting our sustainability targets.”

To produce the heavy plates, around 30,000 tonnes of primary material are required, some of which is produced with low CO2eq emissions at Peiner Träger GmbH (PTG), utilizing scrap-based electrical steel and renewable energy. The remainder is sourced from European suppliers with similarly low-carbon processes through Salzgitter Mannesmann International.

The plates will be delivered to the wind tower manufacturers, Windar in Spain and Welcon in Denmark, from March to October 2025, for the construction of the Thor wind farm.

Media Contact:

Thorsten Moellmann
Head of Communication & Brand
Phone: +49 (0)5341 21-2300
moellmann.t@salzgitter-ag.de

Olaf Reinecke
Press Spokesperson
Phone: +49 5341 21-5350
reinecke.o@salzgitter-ag.de

SOURCE: Salzgitter AG