Germany’s Tilt at Windmills Ditches Steel for 1,000-Tree Tower
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A German wind-power developer has opened the world’s tallest wooden turbine tower, rejecting the use of modern steel and concrete for a construction made from 1,000 spruce trees, used for centuries in traditional windmills.
TimberTower GmbH plans to sell the towers, which are more sustainable than those made from typical materials, majority shareholder Edwin Kohl said. The 100-meter (330 foot) prototype tower, costing about 5 million euros ($6.6 million) to develop, is topped by a 1.5-megawatt Vensys Energie AG generator.