CEMEX’s High-Strength Concrete Will Support Wind Generators at Ventika Wind Farm

The Ventika and Ventika II Wind Farm Project, set to be one of Mexico’s main wind energy projects upon launching, will also introduce an innovative support system made of CEMEX high-strength concrete in place of traditional steel structures.

“We used a specific 600kg/cm2 high-strength concrete. This is a rare type of concrete in Mexico; its characteristics allow the building of structures that replace conventional steel construction,” explains Ignacio Queril Milian, Ventika Project Manager.

Height was a crucial factor leading to the decision to use concrete instead of steel. “Reaching such heights with steel towers is costly and logistically complicated,” added Milian.

The Ventika complex comprises two wind farms that will avoid the annual emission of over 600,000 tons of CO2 by transforming wind energy into electrical energy. Located in northeastern Mexico, 120 kilometers east of the city of Monterrey, the complex has 84 towers, each 120 meters high. On top of each tower rests a wind turbine weighing over 140 tons.

The Ventika and Ventika II Wind Farm Project won first place in the Industrial Building Development category of the XXIV Edition of the CEMEX Building Award, as well as the Special Prize in Innovation in Techniques and Construction Processes.

In order to facilitate the development of Ventika, the DPH company adapted an industrial plant in a nearby city to produce 1,084 segments, which were moved to the project site afterwards. The assembly of the 84 wind turbines began at the end of October 2014 and finished a year later with the installation of the blades.

Through these types of product and process innovations, CEMEX is at the forefront of providing technical building solutions that satisfy the specific needs of a wide range of clients.