Adverse environmental impacts of wind farm installations and alternative research pathways to their mitigation

Chowdhury, Nasimul Eshan; Shakib, Mahmudul Alam; Xu, Fei; Salehin, Sayedus; Islam, Md. Rashidul; Bhuiyan, Arafat A.

doi:10.1016/j.clet.2022.100415

Cited by 10 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 135 publications

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“…The energy mix of Beijing City, China used in this work consisted of 93% of hard coal, 2% of nature gas, and 5% of renewable energy (e.g., hydro and wind power). At this background, conventional fossil fuels were the main energy suppliers, leading to increased environmental impacts associated with emission of CO 2 and harmful chemicals (e.g., SO 2 , NO x , and CO), especially for GWP, PMFP, and TAP. , The results (Figure ) also revealed that less than 1% of the impacts was originated from the emission of effluents, indicating that the indirect environmental burdens of the EO process outweighed the direct benefits.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At this background, conventional fossil fuels were the main energy suppliers, leading to increased environmental impacts associated with emission of CO 2 and harmful chemicals (e.g., SO 2 , NO x , and CO), especially for GWP, PMFP, and TAP. 51,52 The results (Figure 2) also revealed that less than 1% of the impacts was originated from the emission of effluents, indicating that the indirect environmental burdens of the EO process outweighed the direct benefits. Figure 3 presents the analysis for environmental impact contribution of preparation of BDD, SnO 2 , and PbO 2 anode materials.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prospective Life Cycle Assessment for the Electrochemical Oxidation Wastewater Treatment Process: From Laboratory to Industrial Scale

Sun

Bai

Wang

et al. 2023

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Electrochemical oxidation (EO) is a promising technology for water purification, but indirect environmental burdens may arise in association with consumption of materials and energy during electrode preparation and process operation. This study evaluated the life cycle environmental impacts of emerging EO technology from laboratory scale to industrial scale using prospective life cycle assessment (LCA) on a quantitative basis. Environmental impacts of EO technology were assessed at laboratory scale by comparing three representative anode materials (SnO 2 , PbO 2 , and boron-doped diamond) and other two typical processes (adsorption and Fenton method), which verified the competitiveness of the EO process and identified the key factors to environmental hotspots. Thereafter, LCA of scale-up EO was performed to offer guidance for practical application, and the life cycle inventory was compiled upon thermodynamic and kinetic simulations, empirical calculation rules, and similar technical information. Results demonstrated EO to be effective for destructing recalcitrant organic pollutants, but visible direct benefits might be outweighed by increased indirect environmental burdens associated with the preparation of anode materials, use of electrolytes, and energy consumption during the operation stage at both laboratory scale and larger scale. This necessitated attention to overall life cycle profiles by taking into account reactor design, anode materials, electrolyte and flow pattern, and decentralized location with a large share of renewable power station and rigorous contamination control strategies for wastewater treatment plants.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prospective Life Cycle Assessment for the Electrochemical Oxidation Wastewater Treatment Process: From Laboratory to Industrial Scale

Sun

Bai

Wang

et al. 2023

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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“…While onshore and fixed founded offshore wind farms are quite widely installed around the world and provide relevant references on their impacts on the environment along their entire life-cycle (see e.g., Verma et al, 2022 [8] or Kouloumpis and Azapagic, 2022 [9]), and the adverse environmental impacts of different wind generation technologies have been already assessed (mainly in onshore context) [10], there are still many effects that cannot be directly extrapolated to floating offshore wind farms, producing a significant knowledge gap regarding the impacts of this technology in the environment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Compatibility of the Parc Tramuntana Offshore Wind Project in Relation to Marine Ecosystems

Diez-Caballero¹,

Troiteiro

García-Alba

et al. 2022

JMSE

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Parc Tramuntana is the first offshore wind project being promoted in the Catalonian waters, and due to this newness, it has generated a strong social debate surrounding expected environmental and socioeconomic impacts traditionally associated to marine wind farms, as there are no relevant references in this area. The objective of this report is to provide a specific analysis of some of the main potential impacts, based on detailed information and quantitative data, in order to place these impacts in a realistic context and determine their actual magnitude. This analysis is fed by diverse and detailed studies carried out over the last two years to assess the environmental impact of the project, in accordance with current regulations. According to environmental impact assessment, which is based on a standardized methodology, the impact of the project is objectively qualified as MODERATE on vectors such as turbidity and sedimentation, underwater noise, hydrodynamic circulation or the alteration of electromagnetic fields, and NOT SIGNIFICANT on aspects such as the proliferation of invasive exotic species. As this is an ongoing assessment process, this report presents initial conclusions that do not yet address all possible impacts. Nevertheless, the authors stress the importance of framing the debate on offshore wind in Catalonia in the context of the urgency of the climate emergency and its inevitable impacts on the natural environment.

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“…Overall, WF impacts on LST are small in magnitude compared to the background inter-annual variability of LST [131] but higher compared to solar photovoltaics systems [31]. The aforementioned temperature-related effects do not occur at all wind farms, exhibit seasonal variations, and depend on WF characteristics, environmental conditions, and local factors such as topography and land use [111].…”

Section: Micrometeorologymentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Wind turbines can lead to micrometeorological alterations of immediate areas (Table S1) [37,145]. They extract kinetic energy and momentum from the atmosphere [31,86,112], reduce wind speed in the downwind region [13,87,112] and cause downwind turbulence (wakes) [33,112] which alter the surface-atmosphere exchange of energy, momentum, mass, and moisture [36,150], and stimulate vertical mixing [12,13,31].…”

Section: Micrometeorologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Global Review on Environmental Impacts of Onshore Wind Energy and Their Implications for Forest Ecosystems

Sander,

Jung,

Schindler

2024

Preprint

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Deploying onshore wind energy as a cornerstone of future global energy systems challenges societies and decision-makers worldwide. Expanding wind energy should contribute to a more sustainable electricity generation without harnessing humans and their environment. Opponents often highlight the negative environmental impacts of wind energy to impede its expansion. This study reviews 152 studies to synthesize, summarize, and discuss critically the current knowledge, research gaps, and mitigation strategies on the environmental impacts of onshore wind energy. The investigated effects comprise impacts on the abiotic and biotic environment, with birds and bats in particular, noise and visual impacts. Effects are discussed in the context of social acceptance, other energy technologies, and wind energy expansion in forests. The review illustrates that many effects are highly case-specific and must be more generalizable. Studies are biased regarding the research focus and areas, needing more standardized research methods and long-term measurements. Most studies focus on the direct mortality of birds and bats at wind farms and are concentrated in Europe and North America. Knowledge gaps persist for many impact categories, and the efficacy of mitigation strategies has yet to be proven. More targeted, unbiased research is required that allows for an objective evaluation of the environmental impacts of wind energy and strategies to mitigate them. Impacts, such as those on biodiversity, need to be addressed in the context of other anthropogenic influences and the benefits of wind energy. This forms the basis for a socially acceptable, efficient, and sustainable expansion of wind energy.

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Adverse environmental impacts of wind farm installations and alternative research pathways to their mitigation

Cited by 10 publications

References 135 publications

Prospective Life Cycle Assessment for the Electrochemical Oxidation Wastewater Treatment Process: From Laboratory to Industrial Scale

Prospective Life Cycle Assessment for the Electrochemical Oxidation Wastewater Treatment Process: From Laboratory to Industrial Scale

Environmental Compatibility of the Parc Tramuntana Offshore Wind Project in Relation to Marine Ecosystems

Global Review on Environmental Impacts of Onshore Wind Energy and Their Implications for Forest Ecosystems

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