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365 Days of Climate Awareness 363 – Life Cycle Assessment of a Wind Farm [1]
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Date: 2022-08-11
This study analyzes the effects on climate change and the physical environment of the construction of two onshore (2.3 MW geared drive and 3.2 MW direct drive) and offshore (4.0 MW geared drive, and 6.0 MW direct drive) turbines. (These are considered somewhat small now, with 8.0 MW turbines on the market and 13.0 MW turbines coming soon.) Denmark is highly dependent on wind power for its electricity: 42% of the country’s electricity came from wind in 2015, and 48% in 2020.
Review of previous LCAs showed very inconsistent treatment of the end-of-life (EoL) stage. This study’s results in that area are tentative because of varying equipment life spans, and that not all components, such as fiberglass, are commercially recyclable yet. In the main, construction materials were found to dominate the environmental impacts, with concrete for the foundation dominating the onshore installations, and steel for the foundation and tower dominating the offshore.
The cost in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions ranged from 5.0 (onshore) to 10.9 (offshore) g CO 2 eq/kWh (grams CO 2 equivalent per kilowatt-hour). This is roughly one hundred times better than the climate impacts of typical coal or natural gas (990, 530 g CO 2 eq/kWh respectively) plants. And in all four cases, the energy payback time (EPBT) was under a year, meaning the investments pay themselves off quickly.
The report looks at effects as specific as particulates, ozone (O 3 ) formation and eutrophication (organic pollution of water, leading to algal blooms and subsequent hypoxic effects). This is considered important because, even in the drive to make energy systems less carbon-intensive, these other environmental effects can be as or more severe in renewable than conventional energy.
Tomorrow: US Department of Defense reports on climate threats and readiness.
Be brave, be steadfast, and be well.
Source:
Life Cycle Assessment of an Onshore and Offshore Wind Farm, 2015 [PDF]
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