Green development strategy of offshore wind farm in China guided by life cycle assessment

Abstract

Offshore wind power contributes to the decarbonization of the power system; however, its green development faces many challenges, including environmental impact concerns, scale limitations, and grid parity to go carbon neutral. This study applies life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the potential environmental impact of China's first high-power prototype windfarm. The environmental impact of the wind farm is more sensitive to steel, copper, and electricity usage. The recycling of waste turbines can be a solution to reduce the environmental impacts of not only the wind farm but also other entities such as metal producers. Overall, this wind farm case can reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 9.23 MJ and 767.9 g CO2-eq for 1 kWh electricity produced, respectively. Guided by LCA results, green development strategies that include toward the deep sea, promote industrial upgrading and synergy, and advance demonstration projects are discussed in the offshore wind power industry.