OREANDA-NEWS. August 15, 2013. ArcelorMittal Dommeldange in Luxembourg has partnered up with local wind tower manufacturer Smart Wind Integrated Renewables Letzebuerg (Swirl) to produce a new generation of vertical axis wind turbines.

The new generation of vertical axis wind turbine, the Estreya L2, will be entirely manufactured in our Dommeldange workshops. The Long Carbon Europe site will also help further improve the turbines in the future, offering extensive support both in terms of design and quality.

“It all started with a blank piece of paper. We wanted to create a wind turbine that would offer the best performance, and be reliable and safe at the same time. We had several requirements, as rapid assembly and installation times, having the lowest possible number of components and keeping costs low.

In 2012, we ended up with a three-blade design. When looking for a fabrication partner, we opted for ArcelorMittal Dommeldange for its extensive know-how and its many years of experience in high-quality project execution,” said Swirl CEO Joseph Hess. “From good machinery to experienced people eager to perform high-quality work – we found everything we needed in Dommeldange.”

High-quality products, comprehensive solutions
Since the beginning of this collaboration, ArcelorMittal Dommeldange has been supporting the young start-up on many fronts, producing the mechanical components of Estreya L2 entirely on site, as well as handling several aspects of their assembly – a complex process requiring a very high level of expertise.

But ArcelorMittal’s involvement doesn’t end with the production of the turbines. We are also providing comprehensive support to customer Swirl when it comes to further improving the products, both in terms of design and quality. The original disc brake has already undergone considerable enhancement, and many more improvements are in the pipeline.

“When we speak to our Dommeldange partners about our wind turbines, we see their eyes sparkling with interest and curiosity. We must congratulate them for their impressive levels of availability and rigour, in every aspect of their work so far,” said Myriam Muller, head of strategy at Swirl.

Joel Pamart, CEO of ArcelorMittal Dommeldange, underlines how the partnership with Swirl is important for Dommeldange - beyond the clear, financial benefits:

“This collaboration with Swirl allows us to bring additional – and diversified – business to our site, further showcasing and consolidating our competencies in manufacturing, welding and assembly, which are our core activities.”

About Estreya L2
Available in a wide range of colours, Estreya L2 is highly customisable and can even bear company logos. The turbine is 100% recyclable, with a simple yet solid design including a low number of components, which makes it also very cost efficient.

Using vertical axis wind turbines such as Estreya L2 offers many advantages, including reduced noise levels enabling its use in urban environments. The wind turbines can be mounted on buildings or on specific towers.

ArcelorMittal’s technical and commercial teams are currently analysing whether the towers could be replaced with lattice towers using steel produced in ArcelorMittal Rodange’s site, also located in Luxembourg, to build on this partnership.