A multitude of benefits

Given the significant growth in wind energy production forecast for the next 20 years, there will be a tremendous need for turbine towers. One of the greatest environmental challenges facing the wind energy industry, however, is that support towers for wind turbines have typically been made from rolled steel, the production of which is very energy/carbon intensive. There are many reasons why high-tech wood is the ideal cost-competitive, low-carbon alternative to steel for support towers. Collectively, they make a compelling case for the use of timber engineered wood towers at offshore and land-based wind farm sites in Canada and abroad (including developing countries), especially sites that are hard to access.

Canadian Timber Structures is establishing an engineered wood wind turbine support structure industry in BC that will result in:

  • A high demand for harvested timber;
  • A large, new marketing opportunity for under-valued forest products;
  • A new industry and hundreds of local, high-value, full-time jobs;
  • A new international export opportunity for a high value-added product;
  • An even greener wind energy industry; and
  • The opportunity to bridge the forest product and energy sectors.
Canadian Timber Structures will develop, prove, manufacture and market environmentally, economically and socially responsible engineered wood support structures for the wind energy industry.