First name:
Sarah
Last name:
King
Class Year:
2022
Advisor:
Michael Oristaglio
Essay Abstract:
Several studies have investigated the embodied greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in renewable
energy power systems and have demonstrated that fixed-bottom offshore wind farms produce comparable life-cycle emissions to onshore wind farms. Limited research is available on the emissions associated with floating offshore wind, a nascent market within the broader offshore industry. This research quantifies the direct carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions produced by offshore activities in the installation, operations and maintenance (O&M), and decommissioning phases of a hypothetical floating offshore wind farm modeled off the Kincardine Floating Wind Farm. The modeled floating wind farm produced twice the direct emissions associated with a modeled fixed-bottom wind farm. Both fixed-bottom and floating offshore wind farms produced emissions that comprised only a fraction of the life-cycle emissions from fossil-fuel power generation. Higher emissions levels in the floating wind farm were caused by: 1) longer transit distances to site, 2) additional inspections and maintenance of extra cable length and mooring system, and 3) towing the floater to port for turbine main component exchanges. These results highlight the importance of O&M logistics optimization and quality management in reducing direct emissions from floating offshore wind farms.