Life-Cycle Assessment Comparison Between 15-MW Second-Generation High-Temperature Superconductor and Permanent-Magnet Direct-Drive Synchronous Generators for Offshore Wind Energy Applications

Wind energy is the world´s fastest growing energy source. Specifically in the recent decade, offshore wind energy is the technology that has developed the fastest due to the stronger and stable winds produced at sea and the huge areas where it can be employed. Electricity production from wind sources has seen high growth along with wind turbine capacity, foreseeing a linear evolution in the next decade. Additionally, it has been well demonstrated recently that the larger the power per wind turbine unit installed, the lower the levelized cost of energy. Second-generation high-temperature superconductor synchronous generators with direct-drive technology (2GHTSDDSG) for offshore wind energy applications have recently emerged as an alternative to consider instead of permanent-magnet direct-drive synchronous generators (PMDDSG), due to their lower dimensions and low weight per megawatt. This paper contains a detailed “cradle-to-gate” life-cycle assessment of the 15-MW 2GHTSDDSG and PMDDSG, using GaBi 6 commercial software and PE International Professional and Ecoinvent 2.2 databases, as a result of quantifying each component required for the production. After a detailed inspection of each component fabrication, conclusions and recommendations are obtained and presented.