Wind turbines are one of the key components in the production of clean and sustainable energy. Renewable energy sources are at the heart of global energy policies aimed at minimizing environmental impact, and their importance is steadily increasing worldwide.
Wind turbines operating in offshore, mountainous, or open field environments must be designed to withstand extreme environmental conditions. In this context, long-lasting and reliable sealing solutions play a critical role in ensuring turbine performance and operational reliability.
Growth of the Wind Energy Sector and the Need for Advanced Sealing
The wind energy sector has experienced rapid growth both globally and in Turkey in recent years. According to data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), investments in renewable energy continue to rise:
In 2024, the global growth rate of wind energy increased from 8% to 10%.
The market size expanded from USD 1.3 trillion to USD 1.5 trillion.
In Turkey, the share of renewable energy in total electricity production rose from 35% to 40%, with wind energy’s contribution increasing from 7% to 8%.
This growth further drives the need for high-performance sealing solutions capable of operating under demanding environmental conditions.
Wind turbines are exposed to:
Wide temperature fluctuations
Salty and humid atmospheric conditions
UV radiation
Prolonged mechanical and chemical stresses
Despite these challenges, turbines are expected to deliver long service life and high efficiency. In this regard, sealing technologies are critical for maintaining turbine performance and reducing maintenance costs.
Kastaş’s Advanced Sealing Solutions
Kastaş develops sealing materials for wind turbine hydraulic systems that offer:
- Wide operating temperature ranges
- Long service life
- High sealing performance
In particular, TPU, filled PTFE, and elastomer materials are used to provide high-performance sealing solutions for critical hydraulic cylinders.
The main types of hydraulic cylinders used in wind turbines include:
- Pitch Control Cylinders
- Yaw Control Cylinders
- Brake Cylinders
- Locking Cylinders
- Hydraulic Accumulator Control Cylinders
These solutions ensure long-lasting and reliable operation of the various hydraulic cylinders within the turbine.
Kastaş sealing products, designed to withstand UV radiation, extreme temperatures, and special turbine oils, help maximize turbine performance.
Technical Requirements
The key technical challenges that sealing elements in wind turbines must address include:
- Environmental resistance: Durability against UV radiation, ozone, temperature variations, water, and salt.
- High mechanical loads and pressure: Constant mechanical stress on moving components of the turbine.
- Chemical resistance: High chemical resistance to turbine oils and greases.
- Wear and abrasion: Durability against friction-related wear in rotating components.
Kastaş’s TPU and NBR materials have demonstrated excellent performance in 1008-hour aging tests conducted in collaboration with leading oil producers such as Shell.
These test results clearly show that Kastaş materials outperform competing products.
Expert Insight: Barış Çaylak, Senior Manager of Material Technologies
“Behind the growth of the wind energy sector, oil producers are also conducting extensive R&D to enhance efficiency and adapt to environmental conditions.
In this context, we carried out 1008-hour aging tests on our material groups using two commonly used Shell oils and a newly developed special oil.
We compared the results with products from leading competitors and achieved excellent oil compatibility results with our NBR and TPU material groups.
**Kastaş is fully ready to provide the best solutions to support our customers in wind energy applications.”