Fortescue backs wind energy innovator behind “self-erecting” and modular turbines

Andrew Forrest’s Fortescue Future Industries has thrown its financial weight behind Spanish engineering firm Nabrawind, whose wind energy innovations include a self-erecting turbine tower and modular turbine blade technology.

Nabrawind says it has secured funding support from Fortescue Future Industries (FFI), convertible into a minority shareholding, to boost production of its range of technologies geared at cutting the levelised cost of wind energy generation.

The Pamplona-based company commercialises five such products: the modular blade, Nabrajoint; the self-erecting tower, Nabralift; the tripod foundation, Nabrabase; the crane-less blade installation system, Bladerunner; and a new system to safely install wind turbines at high wind speed, Skylift.

Nabrawind says the self erecting tower technology, Nabralift, has been developed to make it easier and cheaper to installed turbines with very high hub heights.

Just this month, Nabrawind announced a joint venture with China’s Golden Ocean to pilot a 190 metre tall Nabralift structure at a low-wind site.

In China, Golden Ocean has already installed more than 2,000 extra high towers and commissioned 6GW of wind generation in low wind sites not considered profitable using standard wind turbine technology.

The Nabrawind tower selected for that pilot project is the tallest Nabralift tower, consisting of a 95-metre framed structure and a standard tubular tower on top.

The Nabrabase, pictured, is pitched as a cost competitive and environmentally friendly elevated foundation for wind farms located in places where concrete supply or soil conditions may represent a challenge.

FFI CEO Mark Hutchinson says the Australian company is keen to support the growth of Nabrawind, “as a critical ally in the transition to renewable energy and the production of green hydrogen – FFI’s core focus.

“Reducing the cost of renewable energy production is a key driver of green hydrogen adoption,” Hutchinson said this week.

“The innovative products developed by the talented team at Nabrawind are just one of the ways to do this, both for FFI and across the market.

“We see great opportunities to help each other be successful in the future.”

Nabrawind, which has alreay navigated the R&D and prototyping phases for its portfolio of products says it is now time for the company to scale up production to meet increasing demand.

“After the technical, production capacity and entry into the market challenges, our next steps are market consolidation and financial capacity for facing the expected growth,” says general manager Eneko Sanz.

“Our partnership with FFI reinforces us in both strategic lines, with very similar culture values and vision about the ecological transition.”