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The steel behind offshore wind’s growth

Published in: Wind, Corporate Focus, Exclusive Articles

The steel behind offshore wind’s growth image

As the offshore wind industry scales up, the demands on steel foundations are intensifying. From fatigue resistance and weld integrity to traceability and emissions, the requirements are becoming more exacting. NLMK DanSteel is adapting its processes, products and partnerships to meet these challenges head-on and support the next generation of wind developments.

The heavy steel plate at the base of a wind turbine is a foundational yet often overlooked component of the energy transition. As turbines grow taller and move into deeper, harsher waters, foundation materials face greater complexity and performance expectations. In a sector racing to deliver on climate goals while grappling with supply chain disruption, bottlenecks and sustainability pressures, the role of high-specification steel is taking on a new level of scrutiny.

For heavy plate producers like NLMK DanSteel, this moment calls for proactive problem-solving. With a history that traces back to the earliest onshore towers, the Danish heavy plate mill has evolved its capabilities around the wind sector’s most pressing pain points: manufacturability, certification, logistics, fatigue performance and, increasingly, emissions.

‘We don’t just make plates,’ says Carsten Koch, Business Development & Customer Technical Service (CTS) Senior Manager, who has worked in the wind sector since 1996. ‘We work with fabricators, classification societies and designers to help close gaps in supply, qualification and application. Wind is changing fast and the steel has to keep up.’

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