Life Cycle Assessment of Wind Power Utilization in Taiwan

Wind power is an emerging renewable energy extensively developed in many countries. Its utilization is especially beneficial in Taiwan mainly due to the characteristic of an island country. This study conducted a life cycle assessment of wind power utilization in Taiwan. Lifecycle stages of wind turbine manufacturing, foundation construction, as well as operation and disposal of the wind power systems are considered, in which 1 kWh electricity generation is defined as the functional unit. Since no offshore wind turbines yet implemented in Taiwan, the system scope is defined as the inland or onshore wind power systems only. In addition to the life cycle assessment of wind power utilization, discussions on the development potential and promotion programs of wind power systems are also addressed. Based on the operation data provided by the three subsided demonstration projects implemented, the capacity factors, defined as the ratio of electricity actually generated to the rated power generation, are 18.9%, 30.9 % and 42.6%. The electricity generated from the three systems stand a 0.012 % of the total electricity generated in Taiwan. Moreover, the estimated potential capacity of wind power falls within the range of 1,620 to 6,480MW. Regarding the results of lifecycle inventory analysis, the resource inputs can be summarized as that Steel: 1.568g