Wind Energy (Energi Tenaga Angin)

     As demand for energy increases, wind is seen as one of the key future sources of electricity generation. Installed capacity of wind power is growing rapidly. Electricity produced by wind turbines is generated with significantly lower lifetime CO2 emissions than the global average for electricity production. This helps to mitigate our impact on climate change.

    A wind farm emits no CO2. The energy used to build, operate and dismantle a typical turbine is recovered within nine months of operation. The Horns Rev offshore wind farm in Denmark has 80 wind turbines and will generate almost 13,000 GWh over lifetime. The entire wind farm will produce an estimated 650 GWh a year. 

Note : The Horns Rev Offshore Wind Farm comprises 80 wind turbines capable of producing 160 MW, the annual production from which can power 150,000 homes in Denmark. The farm covers 20 square kilometers and is located 14 kilometers west of Denmark in the North Sea.

     The Horns Rev offshore wind farm is one of the world's largest. It was installed in 2002 in the North Sea,

14 km west of the coast of Denmark. The location provides some of the best conditions for wind energy.

The wind farm has 80 2 MW wind turbines, which are 70 m tall an have estimated lifetime of 20 years. These turbines are made primarily of steel, with high-strength steel foudations. The 28,000 tonnes of steel in the turbines accounts for 79% of all materials used in the wind farm.

     An estimated 13,000 GWh of electricity will be generated during the lifetime of the farm, equivalent to 650 GWh a year. This is comparable to the annual energy consumption of all the residents of Iceland (population: 319,000). If this energy replaces global average electricity, the lifetime CO2 saving provided by the wind farm is nearly 6.5 millions tons. The wind farm's lifetime CO2 emissions are only 7.6 g of CO2/kWh.

      Using LCA, it is estimated that 6,000 MWh of energy is required to construct, operate and dismantle one Horns Rev turbine. This means that the energy pay-back time for each turbine is only nine months.

Source : worldsteel.org

             evworld.com