News Release from WindEurope
Wind Industry Profile of
08/29/2010
Africa - Saving drinking water is yet another benefit of wind power development
Saving of water is very important from a human rights perspective. Other sources of electricity, such as coal and nuclear, consume considerable quantities of water.
Wind energy’s little known ability to save precious amounts of clean drinking water in an increasingly thirsty world, when compared to other sources of electricity generation, was raised this month in Science in Africa, the continent’s first online scientific magazine.
Written by Dr. Garth Cambray, the article noted that wind farms are capable of providing a number of benefits for South Africa as the country begins to look to renewable energies to help meet a growing need for electricity in the next few decades.
Cambray said that wind turbines consume no water, which is increasingly an important subject in South Africa. “Installing 30,000 MW of wind power would save the amount of water used by a city of 300,000 people. Given that South Africa has currently technically run out of water and cannot guarantee each citizen the constitutional right to clean running water, this saving of water is very important from a human rights perspective,” he said.
“Other sources of electricity, such as coal and nuclear, consume considerable quantities of water,” he added.
Using research by the South African Wind Energy Association, Cambray noted wind energy could — with the help of a progressive regulatory regime and strong political backing — provide 20% of South Africa’s projected electricity demand by 2025 through a distributed portfolio of wind farms with an installed capacity of 30,000 MW.
While South Africa does have significant wind power potential, by the end of last year, according to the Global Wind Energy Council, the nation had only 8 MW of installed capacity.
Cambray said the wind power sector could create up to 40,000 jobs by reaching a total installed capacity of 30,000 MW. In addition, the industry could also save a significant amount of money by displacing more expensive electricity sources dependent on coal and other fossil fuels.
He said the industry would also reduce greenhouse gas emissions — 30,000 MW of wind power would save the nation from emitting 70 million tons per annum of carbon dioxide.
Perhaps South African politicians, as they sit in meeting rooms debating future energy needs while drinking glasses of chilled water, should, like their colleagues in many other parts of the world have already done, turn to wind energy to help drive a much-needed green electricity revolution.
Comment from the Editor:
Well Mr. Rose, being a South African citizin myself, I totally agree with the contents of your statement
About www.windfair.net:
For more information on this article or if you would like to know more about what www.windfair.net can offer, please do not hesitate to contact Trevor Sievert at ts@windfair.net
www.windfair.net is the largest international B2B Internet platform – ultimately designed for connecting wind energy enthusiasts and companies across the globe! In addition, its one of the leaders in the wind energy Internet Marketing sector, with a great range of serices, including among others, an online virtual market where 1st and 2nd hand wind turbines and other realted equipment is traded!
Wind energy’s little known ability to save precious amounts of clean drinking water in an increasingly thirsty world, when compared to other sources of electricity generation, was raised this month in Science in Africa, the continent’s first online scientific magazine.
Written by Dr. Garth Cambray, the article noted that wind farms are capable of providing a number of benefits for South Africa as the country begins to look to renewable energies to help meet a growing need for electricity in the next few decades.
Cambray said that wind turbines consume no water, which is increasingly an important subject in South Africa. “Installing 30,000 MW of wind power would save the amount of water used by a city of 300,000 people. Given that South Africa has currently technically run out of water and cannot guarantee each citizen the constitutional right to clean running water, this saving of water is very important from a human rights perspective,” he said.
“Other sources of electricity, such as coal and nuclear, consume considerable quantities of water,” he added.
Using research by the South African Wind Energy Association, Cambray noted wind energy could — with the help of a progressive regulatory regime and strong political backing — provide 20% of South Africa’s projected electricity demand by 2025 through a distributed portfolio of wind farms with an installed capacity of 30,000 MW.
While South Africa does have significant wind power potential, by the end of last year, according to the Global Wind Energy Council, the nation had only 8 MW of installed capacity.
Cambray said the wind power sector could create up to 40,000 jobs by reaching a total installed capacity of 30,000 MW. In addition, the industry could also save a significant amount of money by displacing more expensive electricity sources dependent on coal and other fossil fuels.
He said the industry would also reduce greenhouse gas emissions — 30,000 MW of wind power would save the nation from emitting 70 million tons per annum of carbon dioxide.
Perhaps South African politicians, as they sit in meeting rooms debating future energy needs while drinking glasses of chilled water, should, like their colleagues in many other parts of the world have already done, turn to wind energy to help drive a much-needed green electricity revolution.
Comment from the Editor:
Well Mr. Rose, being a South African citizin myself, I totally agree with the contents of your statement
About www.windfair.net:
For more information on this article or if you would like to know more about what www.windfair.net can offer, please do not hesitate to contact Trevor Sievert at ts@windfair.net
www.windfair.net is the largest international B2B Internet platform – ultimately designed for connecting wind energy enthusiasts and companies across the globe! In addition, its one of the leaders in the wind energy Internet Marketing sector, with a great range of serices, including among others, an online virtual market where 1st and 2nd hand wind turbines and other realted equipment is traded!
- Source:
- By Chris Rose, blog.ewea.org/ European Wind Energy Association
- Author:
- Posted by Trevor Sievert, Online Editorial Journalist
- Email:
- ewea@ewea.org
- Link:
- www.ewea.org/...
- Keywords:
- wind energy, wind turbine, wind power, offshore, onshore, rotorblade, windfair, Trevor Sievert, ECA