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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

Do wind farms on land produce more greenhouse gas emissions than offshore installations?

By Tory Coffin
NO

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.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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