Frequently asked questions about offshore wind power
Below, we have gathered questions that arise in discussions about offshore wind power, and answers supported by facts and sources.
Vanliga frågor och svar
FAQ
Do the produced visualizations provide a realistic depiction of visibility?
How one perceives the landscape is a subjective experience, making it difficult to assess. The eye has the ability to focus on specific objects in a way that a camera cannot, which can make an object appear different when viewed directly compared to how it looks when photographed by a camera. The planning area is located approximately 15–20 km from the shore, which is a considerable distance compared to many other offshore wind power projects. 15–20 km is also a distance significant enough for the curvature of the earth to affect the visibility of the wind turbines from the shore.
An independent landscape and cultural environment analysis will be conducted in the spring of 2024 to analyze the potential effects of the planning area on the landscape, as well as on the cultural and residential environment. The analysis will form the basis for the assessments carried out in the environmental report.
The government of Åland, together with WSP, has compiled a comparison document as requested at the consultation meeting. The purpose of the document is to show comparable illustrations from other offshore wind farms. The document can be found under the tab ”Consultation Report”.
How are birds, fish, and marine mammals affected by wind power?
All activities have an impact on the environment. When establishing offshore wind power, it is important to balance the benefits of producing renewable energy with the least possible negative impact on wildlife and the environment. The environmental assessment of the municipal plan clarifies the establishment's impact on the environment and limits it if necessary.
Vindval is a research program that conducts wind power-related investigations on people, nature, and the environment. The program is a collaboration between the Swedish Energy Agency and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. Vindval has produced a synthesis report on the effects of offshore wind power on marine life during the different life cycle phases of wind turbines. According to the report, the greatest disturbance was observed during the construction phase in the form of underwater noise and sediment disturbance (the noise is affected by the type of foundation). The noise can affect the behavior patterns of noise-sensitive species, and the sediment disturbance can create habitat changes.
Offshore wind power can also have positive effects on marine life. The fixed structures can give rise to reef effects, as the fixed surfaces provide space for sessile species. Over time, this can contribute to marine life gathering around the structures.
Read the full report on the Sedish Environmental Protection Agency's website (In Swedish)
The government of Åland has commissioned WSP to conduct several preliminary studies to assess the plan's consequences and the need for adjustments. These preliminary studies will form the basis for the environmental assessment work.
Bird inventories are being conducted to investigate the spring and autumn migration of birds within the framework of the Sunnanvind project during the spring and autumn of 2024 to supplement the existing knowledge base, which is found to be insufficient within the planning area. The expected impact of a future wind power park on the affected bird species will be assessed. If uncertainties remain in the knowledge base, recommendations for additional studies and follow-up in the environmental report will be provided.
WSP is also conducting a study regarding fish, where a detailed review of data regarding catches, fishing methods, and AIS data is being carried out within the planning area. This data will form the basis for the environmental report.
In addition to the above studies, an independent preliminary study will be conducted to analyze the impact on Natura 2000 areas and marine mammals. The preliminary study will also form the basis for assessing how the plan needs to be adjusted to minimize the impact on marine mammals and the conservation values of the Natura 2000 areas.
In summary, planning limitations, restrictions, and protective measures will be established within the municipal plan proposal to ensure that the impact on wildlife is minimized.
Does wind power create emissions?
Wind power, unlike fossil energy production, does not generate any emissions during operation. According to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdverket), it is essential to identify emission factors in the production chain of activities, to analyze the total amount of emissions throughout the life cycle. All energy production creates emissions during:
- Raw material extraction.
- Construction.
- Placement.
- Maintenance.
- Decommissioning.
A common way to analyze emissions in electricity production is to measure in grams of carbon dioxide equivalents per kilowatt-hour produced. According to the Swedish Energy Agency (Energimyndigheten 2022), the greenhouse gas emissions from different energy production sources throughout the life cycle can be ranked as follows:
- Hydropower ~4 g CO2e/kWh
- Wind power ~11 g CO2e/kWh
- Nuclear power ~12 g CO2e/kWh
- Solar power ~41 g CO2e/kWh
- Natural gas 290-930 g CO2e/kWh
- Oil 510-1170 g CO2e/kWh
- Coal 740-1689 g CO2e/kWh
These calculations vary depending on the technological development of individual power plants.
Hur hanteras risken för att kemikalier från sedimenten sprids?
Inom ramen för de bottenundersökningar som utförts inom projekt Sunnanvind som grund till miljörapporten har sedimentprover tagits för att undersöka föroreningshalter i både ytsediment och djupare sedimentskikt. Resultaten från denna studie kommer att kunna användas till att dra preliminära slutsatser i komparativa analyser kopplat till effekter av sedimentspridning till följd av en framtida verksamhet.
Inga detaljerade sedimentspridningsmodelleringar kommer att utföras inom ramen för planläggningen då landskapsregeringens avsikt är att generalplanen inte kommer att styra över vilka förankringsmetoder, fundament eller platser som verksamhetsutvecklaren väljer för de olika strukturerna. Däremot kan generalplanförslaget fastställa t.ex. känsliga vattenområden där säsongsrestriktioner för grumlande aktiviteter tillämpas.
Do wind turbines create microplastics?
There are studies regarding the wear and tear of rotor blades throughout the lifecycle of wind turbines. The focus area relates to what is known as "leading edge erosion," where the outer contact surface of the rotor blades is subjected to wear during rotation. According to Lopez et al. (2023), the levels of erosion are influenced by harsh weather conditions and the choice of protective coatings used on the blades. The conclusion suggests that the wear primarily affects aerodynamics and production efficiency, rather than the generation of microplastics, which depends on the choice of materials.
Microplastics are plastic particles that are less than 5 millimeters in diameter. These particles come from degraded plastic products that end up in the ocean in one way or another. The discussion on microplastics in the ocean is becoming increasingly relevant as researchers have observed their global distribution in various fish, whales, seabirds, and even humans. Studies show that microplastics have a negative impact on marine life, but further research is needed to understand long-term effects. Current research indicates that the most significant sources of microplastics are consumer products and textiles.
The problem with microplastics is that plastic products exist in all aspects of society, making it challenging to trace the origin of particles after degradation. Wind turbines, like other energy facilities, use plastic materials that could be potential sources of microplastics. However, in studies addressing the issue, the contribution of wind power to microplastics in the ocean is considered very small compared to items like plastic bags, household products, and car tires, among others.
Read more about the different sources for microplastics in EU's factsheet on microplastics.
Read more about leading edge erosion on ScienceDirect's portal for publications:
Read more about microplastics on SpringerLink's portal for publications:
What happens when the wind doesn’t blow?
To enable a 12 MW wind turbine to generate electricity, a wind speed of approximately 4 meters per second is required (varies depending on the size and rotor diameter). This means that there are periods when wind turbines do not produce electricity, which is a challenge for all weather-dependent energy resources. However, according to the Swedish Energy Agency (2021), there is no energy production that operates continuously, as operational disturbances, maintenance, and supply security are factors that affect the production capacity of all energy resources.
The advantages of wind power are that these operational disturbances are often short and easily overcome, whereas other energy sources such as nuclear power take longer to start up in the event of an operational disturbance. An additional positive development for wind power is the potential for further processing the electricity into hydrogen. Hydrogen can be stored, which mitigates the weather dependency of wind power. By selling the electricity generated from wind power when the electricity price is high and further processing the electricity into hydrogen when the electricity price is low, wind power can play a balancing role in the electricity market.
Read more about the conditions for wind power on the Swedish Energy Agency's website (In Swedish)
The Sunnanvind project is led by the Government of Åland. Sunnanvind's mission is to enable offshore wind power in the northern maritime areas, maximizing the benefits for Åland as quickly as possible. The project is conducting preparatory work for the auctioning of the rights to utilize these maritime areas.
