Tata Steel UK has secured funding from the Welsh Government to support a collaborative project aimed at developing next-generation wind turbine towers using UK-produced steel.
The project, supported under the Welsh Government’s SMART Flexible Innovation Support programme, brings together partners including Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult (OREC), Bute Energy, RWE, Hutchinson Engineering and Ledwood Mechanical Engineering. It will focus on developing strip steel-based tower designs as an alternative to conventional plate-based structures.
The initiative will combine industry and research expertise to accelerate design and manufacturing processes, while assessing the use of low-emission steel in more sustainable tower production. Tata Steel UK’s planned transition to electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking is expected to support potential commercial deployment of the technology.
The project will also evaluate how UK and Welsh supply chains can meet growing demand for wind energy infrastructure, particularly as offshore wind capacity expands in line with the country’s net-zero targets.
Tata Steel said the development could strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities, reduce reliance on imported steel, and support economic growth linked to the energy transition.
