Mires and Peat

an online journal jointly published by imcg and ips

Volume 4 Special Volume: Wind Farms on Peatland (2008-2010): Article 9 

Calculating carbon budgets of wind farms on Scottish peatlands

by D.R. Nayak, D. Miller, A. Nolan, P. Smith and J.U. Smith

Published online: 29.04.2010

Summary

The reliability of calculation methods for the carbon emission savings to be achieved in Scotland by
replacing power generated from fossil fuels (and other more conventional sources) with that produced by
large-scale wind farm developments is a cause for concern, largely in relation to wind farms sited on
peatlands. Scottish Government policy is to deliver renewable energy without environmental harm, and to
meet biodiversity objectives including the conservation of designated wildlife sites and important habitats
such as peatlands. The implications for carbon emissions of developing a wind farm are, therefore, just one
aspect of the suite of considerations that the planning system takes into account. This paper presents a simple
methodology for prospectively calculating the potential carbon emission savings to be realised by developing
wind farms on peatland, forestland or afforested peatland. The total carbon emission savings of an individual
wind farm are estimated by accounting emissions from the power source that will be replaced by wind power
against: loss of carbon due to production, transportation, erection, operation and dismantling of the wind
farm components (the infrastructure overhead); loss of carbon due to backup power generation; loss of
carbon stored in peat and forest; loss of carbon-fixing potential of peatland and forest; and carbon savings
due to habitat improvement. Most of the carbon losses are determined by national infrastructure, but those
from peat soil and plants are influenced by site selection and management practices. The extent of drainage
around each constructed element of the wind farm is a major factor for greenhouse gas emissions.
Consideration of an example site with a low extent of drainage, where management practices that minimise
net carbon losses (e.g. undrained floating roads, habitat improvement and site restoration on
decommissioning) were used indicates that emissions from the soil and plants may cancel out as little as
< 6% of the potential carbon savings, even on peatland. However, if the soil had a high extent of drainage
and management practices that minimise carbon losses were abandoned, greenhouse gas emissions from the
soil and plants could amount to 77% of the wind farm’s gross carbon savings; in other words, even though
the development would not be a net cost in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, it would not provide much
benefit. Thus, the development of wind farms on peat as opposed to mineral soils incurs a much greater risk
that the potential net saving of greenhouse gas emissions will be significantly reduced by poor site
management practice. This means that good site selection and management is of the utmost importance if
wind farms are to be developed on peatlands.

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Citation

Nayak, D.R., Miller, D., Nolan, A., Smith, P. & Smith, J.U. (2010): Calculating carbon budgets of wind farms on Scottish peatland. Mires and Peat 4: Art. 9. (Online: http://www.mires-and-peat.net/map04/map_04_09.htm)

Reviewers

IMCG and IPS acknowledge the work of the reviewers. 

Last update: 29.04.2010		www.mires-and-peat.net
Key title: Mires and Peat	ISSN 1819-754X	Abbreviated key title: Mires Peat