Fast Eddie
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I’ve posted this before…Not so sure I should repeat something I have not researched myself but for consideration as a possibility I’ll mention it. Anyone who has information to the contrary please say so - I am happy to stand corrected. I have heard that during their lifetime offshore wind turbines consume a tremendous amount of fossil fuel-some claim even more than they save . Their manufacture , transportation , erecting , and servicing / repairs all require fossil fuel consumption.
Food for thought.
I did some consulting work in maintenance in a large off shore windmill company.
The short version is: they were using 10 times more concrete than initially planned, the utilisation was a little over half what was estimated, and the ‘turrets’ (the money end with huge 4 metre diameter shafts running in huge bronze bushes, etc) that were supposed to last 25 years, were being changed at 5 years, so 5 times more often.
To change the turrets this often, a fleet of “platform” ships were needed.
ALL of the above has a MASSIVE carbon footprint and yet the original assumptions (upon which viability decisions were made) were NOT amended !
I was staggered and became sceptical as to the whole shebang right then and there.
Just looking at one of these huge shafts made me wonder how long the carbon payback on that part alone was. Then to factor in all of the above, it just seemed impossible to me that this entire wind farm would ever break even in terms of carbon.
However, this was a few years ago, maybe things have improved since then ??