Posters

Abstract

While wind energy is a key pillar of the energy transition, this fact does not preclude the industry from being required to reduce its material-embedded greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, nor participating in the evolution towards a more circular economy. Wind installations in the EU typically use between 3 and 4 tonnes of copper for every MW of installed capacity. There is potential for reducing the GHG emissions embedded in this copper use. The International Copper Association (ICA) and its members have developed a pathway aiming to bring the carbon footprint of copper production as close as possible to net zero by 2050 ('Copper - The Pathway to Net Zero'). It sets out a pragmatic approach to decarbonising copper production, using existing technologies. The pathway delineates which decarbonisation options can be activated, by when, and with what impact. It also outlines the enabling conditions that should be in place to achieve this. Using recycled material is often seen as a magic bullet to reduce embedded GHG emissions, in addition to being an objective in itself. While it is true that copper is highly recyclable and that production from secondary material has lower GHG emissions, there is an important constraint. Due to the long lifespan of copper products and the historical growth in demand, only limited quantities of recycled copper come onto the market. Even in an ideal world of 100% recuperation rates, recycled material could not supply any more than half the copper required today. The good news, however, is that copper in wind installations is typically in a highly pure state and easy to recuperate, which means that installations currently under construction will become excellent "urban mines" in the future. Moreover, copper's economic value will provide an incentive for end-of-life wind turbines to be dismantled so that materials may be recycled.