Externality Assessment of an Onshore Wind Farm

Hanif Auwal Ibrahim () and George Alex Thopil ()
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Hanif Auwal Ibrahim: University of Pretoria
George Alex Thopil: University of Pretoria

A chapter in Human-Centred Technology Management for a Sustainable Future, 2025, pp 127-133 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Onshore wind power has immense potential to accelerate South Africa’s energy transition to a sustainable power mix, effectively addressing the rising demand for electricity and mitigating the adverse impacts of fossil fuels. However, the effects on human health, crops, biodiversity, and materials caused by the technology remain largely unexplored in the existing literature. This study addresses this gap by examining both the greenhouse gas (GHG) and non-GHG emissions, as well as the external costs associated with onshore wind power in South Africa. Specifically, we focus on the 138 MW Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm, analysing its entire life cycle from material extraction/manufacturing (M), transportation (T), operation and maintenance (O&M), to decommissioning and disposal (D). This approach, known as life cycle assessment (LCA), provides a comprehensive understanding of the environmental impact. Results show that GHG impact accounts for 26.062 gCO2 eq/kWh and human health is the most significant non-GHG impact at 0.638 g/kWh.

Keywords: Life cycle assessment; Onshore wind; Human health; Climate change; Sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:prbchp:978-3-031-72490-9_13

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-72490-9_13

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