The response of European offshore wind power to national greenhouse gas emissions and the resulting environmental benefits

Abstract

Renewable energy represents a pathway towards sustainable development and reducing dependence on fossil fuels for the international workforce. Following the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, the EU has been intensifying its transition towards clean energy, reaffirming its net-zero emissions goal. Under this goal, accelerating the development of renewable energy has become a necessity. Wind power holds a significant position among the EU's RES. Due to the high population density in the EU, offshore wind power, compared to onshore wind power, experiences faster wind speeds and more stable wind sources, making the boost of offshore wind energy a major development trend for the EU's new energy initiatives. The results indicate a significant positive correlation between offshore wind power generation and greenhouse gas emissions. On average, for every 100 million tons of GHG emissions, the EU should achieve an annual power generation of 3148.11 GWh through offshore wind power and increase the cumulative installed capacity of national offshore wind power to 768045 MW. In combination with the EU's carbon trading system and the carbon price and emission reduction effects of offshore wind power proposed by some scholars, an installed capacity of offshore wind power approximately accounts for 2.69% of the EU's emission reductions, potentially generating an economic benefit of 21825 billion euros.