Do wind farms on land produce more greenhouse gas emissions than offshore installations?
A 2019 study found offshore wind turbines produce more greenhouse gases over their life cycle than onshore wind turbines, due to the impact of installation and maintenance of platforms floating in open waters. An analysis of four representative European power plants found that the emissions were substantially less for onshore systems than for offshore systems (7 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt-hour of electricity generated vs. 11 grams).
As wind turbines do not emit greenhouse gases wherever they operate, all help to reduce emissions if they replace conventional coal, oil or gas generating capacity.
A wind turbine’s rotor blades are made with polymers; after use, the blades end up in landfills. Both onshore and offshore turbines can pose other environmental risks, including hazards for bats and birds.
