The benefits to the environment from using wind power are mainly by reducing atmospheric pollution. As well as a significant reduction in CO2, other pollutants are also reduced; SO2, NOx, CO, Methane and Particulates.
The amount of CO2 emitted by various types of power generation during all stages of a power generation plant’s life cycle are listed below. The values given are subject to some local country by country variation, but wind power reduces emissions by orders of magnitude compared with conventional thermal power generation.
|
CO2 Emissions (Tonnes per GWh) [41], [42] & [43] |
||||
|
Technology |
Fuel Extraction |
Construction |
Operation |
Total |
|
Coal-fired [1] |
1 |
1 |
962 |
964 |
|
AFBC |
1 |
1 |
961 |
963 |
|
IGCC |
1 |
1 |
748 |
751 |
|
Oil-fired |
- |
- |
726 |
726 |
|
Gas-fired |
- |
- |
484 |
484 |
|
OTEC |
N/A |
4 |
300 |
304 |
|
Geothermal |
<1 |
1 |
56 |
57 |
|
Small hydro |
N/A |
10 |
N/A |
10 |
|
Nuclear [2] |
~2 |
1 |
5 |
8 |
|
Wind |
N/A |
7 |
N/A |
7 |
|
Photovoltaics |
N/A |
5 |
N/A |
5 |
|
Large hydro |
N/A |
4 |
N/A |
4 |
|
Solar thermal |
N/A |
3 |
N/A |
3 |
|
Wood [3] |
-1509 |
3 |
1346 |
-160 |
1 Conventional plant 2 Boiling water reactor 3 Sustainable harvest
The actual saving in emissions depends to a large extent on the mix of types of power generation for an individual country or region and the type of plant replaced. It is apparent that any calculations on emissions savings must look realistically at the type of power generation likely to be replaced, and not just assume that the most polluting will be shut down.
As an example of this, it is interesting to note that the German energy mix including nuclear power is 0.6kg/kWh, whereas the mix excluding nuclear power is 0.89kg/kWh