Comparison Analysis of Blade Life Cycles of Land-Based and Offshore Wind Power Plants

Abstract

In recent years, the offshore wind power industry has been growing dynamically. A key element which decides upon power output of a wind power plant is blades. They are most frequently produced from polymers – laminates with epoxy resins and fiberglass. In the near future, when the blade life cycles are over, large amounts of waste material of this type will have to be reused. This paper presents a comparison analysis of the impact of particular material existence cycle stages of land-based and offshore wind power plant blades on the environment. Two wind power plant blades, of about 49 m in length each, were examined using the LCA method, the programme SimaPro, and Ekowskaźnik 99 modelling (phase LCIA).

Assessment of the Environmental Impact of a Car Tire throughout Its Lifecycle Using the LCA Method

“…Their results can be used for the development of action plans, waste management strategies, and design modification to be later compared with other companies [4][5][6]. Companies are more and more frequently using life cycle assessment not only at the stage of product design, improvement, or the formulation of overall development strategies, but also for the object's entire life cycle management [7][8][9][10][11][12]. 2 of 25 In order to develop pro-ecological transport, it is necessary to use data from many different fields.…”

Sustainable Wind Power Plant Modernization

“…The aim of the study is to develop a methodology to assess the efficiency of energy and environmental costs incurred during the 25-year lifecycle of a 2 MW wind power plant and of the very same power plant undergoing sustainable modernization to extend its lifecycle to 50 years. The analytical and research procedure conducted is a new model and methodological approach, one which is a valuable source of data for the sustainable lifecycle management of wind power plants in an economy focused on process efficiency and the sustainability of energy and material resources.Energies 2020, 13, 1461 2 of 23 during their lifecycle, elements which include rotors, blades, towers, and various types of foundations, both offshore and onshore, with the result being that foundations and towers are the greatest source of potential negative impacts [1,[13][14][15][16][17].Less attention, however, has been given to the relationship between the benefits, costs, and efficiency in a given lifespan of a wind power plant [18]. Kasner [19] introduced the concept of the universal wind power plant integrated efficiency indicator which allows one to assess the efficiency of the use of inputs (costs) on the generation, use, and post-use management of the materials and components of a wind power plant in three areas: potential emissions, energy consumption, and financial costs to obtain benefits in the form of electricity production.…”

“…Energies 2020, 13, 1461 2 of 23 during their lifecycle, elements which include rotors, blades, towers, and various types of foundations, both offshore and onshore, with the result being that foundations and towers are the greatest source of potential negative impacts [1,[13][14][15][16][17].…”

Life Cycle Analysis of Ecological Impacts of an Offshore and a Land-Based Wind Power Plant

“…Due to a lack of clear reasons for exclusions, all categories of the impact included in Eco-indicator 99 were analyzed. The level of the impact exerted by selected processes of the wind farm post use utilization was analyzed as well (25% storage on landfills and 75% recycling [14,16,28,29]; the possibility of combustion with energy recovery was neglected due to the structure of high content of inflammable materials). Dominant areas affecting human health, the quality of the environment, and depletion of natural resources were identified.…”

“…The foundation consists of a foundation pile, a transition piece, a boat landing platform, a platform, and cathode protection. As the dimensions for the foundation pile may fluctuate due to various sea depths, different assumptions are made for the foundation dimensions, for example: foundation pile made of high-strength steel-length: 29.7 mm, diameter: 4.0 mm, thickness: 30 mm, 45 mm, 50 mm; dimensions for the transition piece-length: 17.0 mm, diameter: 4.24 mm (bottom), 4.0 mm (top), thickness: 40 mm and 50 mm [9][10][11][12][13][14].…”