Northstar Endeavors is partnering with technology and patent advisory firm IntelStor to find a new partner to take its tower design to commercial operation.
The tower is produced in pre-assembled segments that can be transported to a wind project site on standard flatbed trucks, removing the need for special haulage solutions that traditional tower designs need.
With the increase in turbine hub height over the last few years, particularly in the US, pressure has been mounting on the supply chain to have the resources available to meet demand.
According to IntelStor, recent research suggested the total transportation and installed cost of a segmented tower "can be significantly less costly than other commercial solutions" because of lower transport costs.
Northstar's tower design is scalable for hub heights above 160 metres, "which will become more common as project developers seek to repower projects or install new wind turbines which are 5MW plus", Intelstor explained.
IntelStor will be responsible for pursuing a technology license or asset acquisition agreement with a technology commercialisation partner.
According to the advisory firm, negotiations are already underway with some interested parties, including tower vendors, turbine OEMs and EPC contractors in various countries.
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