High-rise Turbine Support Structures - High-rise turbine support structures maximize wind capture, improving energy yield and operational efficiency in diverse environments.

High-rise turbine support structures, defined here as those exceeding 140 meters in hub height, are becoming necessary to unlock the wind resources in low-to-medium wind speed areas. The simple physics of wind shear dictates that wind speed increases with altitude, meaning a significantly higher Annual Energy Production (AEP) can be captured with a taller structure.

The necessity for these high-rise structures stems from:

AEP Maximization: Taller towers access more powerful and consistent winds, dramatically improving the project's financial viability (LCoE).

Turbulence Reduction: High-rise structures lift the rotor above ground-level obstructions (hills, forests, buildings), reducing wind turbulence and resulting in lower mechanical fatigue on the entire turbine structure.

Site Expansion: They make previously uneconomical sites in landlocked, lower-wind regions viable for large-scale wind power.

The technology solutions developed to enable high-rise structures include:

Hybrid Towers (Concrete/Steel): A wide concrete base provides excellent stiffness and mass, overcoming the slenderness challenge of very tall towers, while a steel top section minimizes weight at the height.

Modular Segmented Steel: The base of these towers is split into segments for road transport, allowing for diameters well over 5 meters.

Lattice Towers: While less common than tubular, modern lattice designs (steel truss structure) are being revisited for their superior strength-to-weight ratio for extreme heights, particularly for their structural base.

The development of new tower systems is the critical enabler for the next generation of 6MW+ onshore wind turbines.