Will construction affect water quality?
This will be studied as part of the US Army Corp permitting process. During construction of the turbine foundations and burying cable, sediment can become disturbed for a brief time period, but it then settles out and returns to the bottom. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University are studying the content and characteristics of sediment and will continue to advise LEEDCo on their findings. Considering the Great Lakes Compact, another benefit of offshore wind energy is the non-consumptive nature of our region’s freshwater resource. Coal and nuclear power plants, on the other hand, consume substantial quantities of water for their cooling systems, and discharge warm water into the lake. The report by the Great Lakes Commission, "Examination of Future Power Generation Scenarios and Water Resource Impacts," indicates each kilowatt-hour generated from coal (86% of Ohio generation) requires an average of 25 gallons of water. Also, as mentioned previously, coal-fired power generation is responsible for mercury deposition in the lakes. |
Will the turbines affect water temperature?
| No, according to a study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Source: http://web.mit.edu/press/2010/wind-economy.html
|
What about the gear oil and insulating oil that would be used for the project?
| The project will utilize General Electric’s 4.1 MW Direct-Drive turbines, versions of which have been in operation since 2005. This direct-drive technology eliminates the costly gearbox, which in turn eliminates hundreds of gallons of gear oil and lowers operating expenses. The GE turbine design also relies on an innovative modular approach to maximize in-situ repair and reduce the need for large repair vessels. With one-half the parts, the direct-drive technology provides a simple, reliable design with built-in redundancy for major components, all focused on keeping turbines operating reliably and cleanly. To the extent that lubricants will be used in the project for various purposes, they will be marine quality. |
Will the building materials used on turbines or foundations negatively affect water quality?
| No. Typical building materials are concrete and steel and are similar to those already used in numerous lake structures.
|
