Assessment of Materials and Rare Earth Metals Demand for Sustainable Wind Energy Growth in India

Abstract

Wind energy is an alternative energy generation from non-renewable energy resources. The turbine is used to exploit wind energy. Different components of a wind turbine necessitate different materials and metals. There is a dependency of the materials on foreign countries. To avoid future problems regarding the availability of these materials in India, it is necessary to forecast the quantity and the price of the materials and metals. Thus, this study mainly focuses on the estimation of the raw materials, rare earth, and critical metals used in manufacturing the wind turbine. Two wind turbines of 1.65 MW and 3.45 MW capacity, 78 m and 94 m hub height are considered for the study. The major raw materials are steel, aluminum, copper, cast iron, fiber glass with epoxy resin, and ceramic/glass. The requirement of rare earth elements (Nd) depends on the type of wind turbine direct drive or geared, and the type of generator used in the direct-drive wind turbine. The results estimated the requirement of materials and rare earth elements and the expected price in the future for 100% wind energy production in India.