The consortium, largely based in Wales, includes Tata Steel UK, RWE, Bute Energy, Hutchinson Engineering and Ledwood, and the project has won £174,000 SMART Flexible Innovation Support from the Welsh Government.

Most wind turbine towers currently built in the UK rely on imported thick steel plate for construction, creating a potential bottleneck for renewable energy projects.

This initiative could change this by developing a tower design that uses thin strip, coil based, low emission steel, produced in electric arc furnaces – enabling lighter, more efficient structures that could significantly cut costs.

Dr Cristina Garcia-Duffy, director of research and engineering at ORE Catapult, said: “This innovation represents a major step forward in wind turbine tower design, with the potential to significantly enhance technical performance while also delivering substantial economic and environmental benefits for Wales and the wider UK.

“By combining low emission steel with advanced engineering and design techniques, we are targeting meaningful reductions in both lifecycle costs and carbon emissions. This approach not only improves the sustainability of turbine infrastructure but also strengthens UK........

© Eastern Daily Press