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GLOBAL CARBON DIOXIDE REDUCTIONS

source: www.ewea.org/documents/
WF12-2004_eng.pdf

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CO2 reductions

It has been calculated that, in 2000, about 15 million tonnes of CO2 production was avoided across 28 European countries through wind energy generation…
  • the CO2 emissions related to the manufacture, installation and servicing over the average 20 year lifecycle of a wind turbine are ‘paid back’ after the first 3 to 6 months of operation*.
On the assumption that the average value for CO2 saved by switching to wind power is 600 tonnes per GWh**, under this scenario there will be the following savings:
  • annual reductions rising from 50.8 million tonnes CO2 in 2003 to 1,832 million tonnes CO2 in 2020;


  • by 2010, a cumulative reduction of 1,065 million tonnes CO2;


  • by 2020, a cumulative reduction of 10,771 million tonnes CO2;


  • by 2040, a cumulative reduction of 88,857 million tonnes CO2.

* Source: WEC statistics cited in “Wind Energy – The Facts”, Vol.4, 1998, EWEA/European Commission.

** On the assumption that coal and gas will still account for the majority of electricity generation in 20 years’ time – with a continued trend for gas to take over from coal – it makes sense to use a figure of 600 tonnes per GWh as an average value for the CO2 reduction to be obtained from wind generation.
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