Do wind turbines significantly reduce the CO2 emissions implicated in global warming?
No. CO2 savings are negligible.
One wind turbine potentially saves the same amount of CO2 as a handful of cars would produce in the same period. But substantial quantities of CO2 are emitted in the manufacture, transport and installation of the turbines themselves.
Let’s take just one example. Each turbine requires around 400 cubic metres of concrete to make the underground base. 7 turbines will mean pouring 2,800 cubic metres (99,000 cubic feet) of concrete. Incidentally, all of this remains in place when the station is decommissioned. So the concrete used in installing the turbines will generate around 800 tonnes of CO2. So much for wind turbines being emission free.
Professor David Simpson looked at the wider picture in his 2004 report: "Because of the cost of providing additional stand-by generating capacity, it is unlikely that wind power will ever account for more than 20% of electricity generation through the National Grid. That being the case, its development can make no substantial contribution to an overall reduction in carbon emissions."