Optimal Environmental Siting of Future Wind Turbines in the North Sea.

ABSTRACT: Offshore wind energy (OWE) represents a key technology for achieving a sustainable energy transition. However, offshore wind farms (OWFs) can impact the environment via installation, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning activities together with the raw materials and energy required for their manufacturing. This study assesses the material and carbon footprint of potential OWF locations in the North Sea for various possible future technology developments. We find that better sitings could save up to ∼0.11 kg (∼65%) of steel, ∼ 0.16 g (∼31%) of copper, and ∼6.44 kg (∼26%) of embodied CO₂-eq per MWh of electricity produced compared to the status quo setups. Nearshore regions of the North Sea, particularly the eastern and northwestern areas, have the lowest CO₂-eq

SUBMITTER: Li C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11697346 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature