ASSESSMENT OF WIND ENERGY IN INDIA AT THE NATIONAL AND SUB- NATIONAL LEVEL: ATTRIBUTIONAL LCA EXERCISE

摘要

ABSTRACT The Government of India has set the target of 60 GW wind energy capacity to be achieved by 2022. The Attributional Life Cycle Assessment methodology and E3-India model are used to study the total economic, energy, and environmental impact of the operational phase of wind turbines across the country. It is expected to generate waste from 2021 until 2051 at the rate of 217.89 tonnes/wind turbine, cumulatively amounting to 7.9 million tonnes. This generates an opportunity for recycling and resale of the metal materials worth USD 4.5 billion, which can be utilized in manufacturing 3.3 GW of wind turbines, thus emphasizing its high circular economy potential. The embodied energy and CO2 emission savings by substituting virgin material are estimated to be 17,215 GWh and 6,626 million tonnes, respectively. Thus, measures like Extended Producer Responsibility could help create a viable circular economy through the partially closed-loop recycling of wind turbines.