Radioecological footprint of wind turbines in electricity production

Radioecological footprint of wind turbines in electricity production

Presented by: Prof. Dr. Clemens Walther

Time:

• 7:00 am CET (GMT+1) Berlin
• 2:00 pm AWST (GMT+8) Perth
• 4:00 pm AEST (GMT+10) Brisbane
• 4:30 pm ACDT (GMT+10:30) Adelaide
• 5:00 pm AEDT (GMT+11) Sydney
• 7:00 pm NZDT (GMT+13) Auckland
  

PRESENTER BIO

Clemens Walther is Professor at the Leibniz University Hannover, Germany and Head of the Institute of Radioecology and Radiation Protection. He is president of the German Swiss Society for Radiation Protection and Head of the Steering Board of the Competence Center Radiation Research (KVSF). Since 2015 he is a member of the German Commission for Radiation Protection. Prof. Walther’s past appointments include being Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics (2019–2021), Chair of the Nuclear Chemistry Section of the German Chemical Society (2019-2022), Head of the European Network on Nuclear and Radiochemistry Education and Training (2016–2022), Member of the extended governing board of the German Society for Mass Spectrometry (DGMS) (2012–2015) and Head of the mass spectrometry division of the German Physical Society (DPG) (2012–2015).

ABSTRACT

Today, global electricity production goes hand in hand with the use of wind energy. The German "Energiewende" project is no exception and is increasingly relying on the construction and ever-increasing number of wind turbines. Although no pollutants are emitted during operation (compared to conventional power plants such as coal, oil or gas), there is exposure during the production of the construction materials. As the raw materials for the production of the construction materials are mainly extracted and processed outside Germany, the radioactivity associated with the processes and the doses from them affect remote locations around the globe. This process can be referred to as "exporting radiation dose".