Abstract
OSW power is a clean source of electricity generation, emitting much lower carbon emissions than fossil fuels. However, there are opportunities to further reduce emissions throughout the wind farm’s life cycle, aiding the transition to Net Zero. Reducing emissions will involve challenging the conventional manufacturing, construction, and operational processes through environmentally conscious designs, circularity processes, and innovative approaches. Given the reliance on complex supply chains across multiple sectors, achieving a substantial industry transformation at scale will require significant cross sectoral collaborative efforts to decarbonise the materials and inputs.
The Sustainability JIP partners share key insights into an overarching OSW decarbonisation pathway, emphasising a holistic assessment of the emissions profile. This approach considers the emission reduction potential not only at the component level but across the entire industry, considering all aspects of individual wind farms. With greener materials and inputs expected to become more widely available in the coming years, integrating individual OSW farm carbon footprint data with a broader decarbonisation pathway will enhance confidence and transparency around the necessary interventions. This report shows that a carbon emissions reduction of 90% is achievable by 2050 should the relevant decarbonisation pathways across materials and activities take shape.
Analysis of existing emission sources from an average OSW farm (this study’s baseline) reveals that material inputs from the supply chain contribute 60-80% of total emissions. Specifically, steel accounts for over 50% of life cycle carbon emissions in an average development, with other materials contributing 24%. Emissions from construction, installation, and operational activities, primarily driven by vessel fuel type, typically form 15-20%. Achieving industry decarbonisation will require strengthened communication and strategic action between all interfacing sectors that contribute these inputs.
A key message of this report is the critical short-term actions needed to accelerate decarbonisation within the wind industry. This report identifies the stakeholders necessary to drive these changes. Achieving meaningful progress will require collaborative action across sectors by a wide range of international stakeholders – such as the supply chain, OSW developers, governments, and financial institutions. Each stakeholder must take responsibility for exploring pathways to Net Zero and adopting economic models that account for environmental and social impacts beyond financial costs, playing a pivotal role in decarbonising the global OSW industry