Case studies - green energy generation
The 2020 International Stainless Steel Forum Book of New Applications offers three case studies of different uses of stainless steel in green energy generation. In the first, stainless steel was used to create 200 new wagons to transport biomass. Each vehicle has a capacity for transporting biomass almost 30% higher than other UK wagons. While stainless steel was also used for foundations for solar panel mounts and electrostatic precipitators.
The necessary development of renewable energy to mitigate climate change has sparked a new interest in micro hydro power. Water power has been recognised for more than a century as a provider of renewable energy. Most of the sites suitable for medium to large hydro power production have already been exploited, sometimes with big environmental concerns. Tapping into smaller streams or low head flow with micro hydro turbines has thus become attractive and many small-scale projects have been carried out. For all equipment parts in contact with water, particularly moving parts, corrosion resistance is essential.