Replacing the SUVs sold globally by normal cars would free up enough steel for all wind turbines produced and installed. Actually it would allow to at least double wind power capacity additions!
Thought developed while cycling. Don't get me started on what'd be possible if we replaced the millions of SUVs sold annually by (electric) bicycles ;!
Calculation to follow. Watch this space.
Calculation to follow. Watch this space.
Thought developed while cycling; don't get me started on what the effect would be of replacing the millions of SUVs sold by (electric) bicycles ;)
Calculations will follow. Watch this space.
Calculations will follow. Watch this space.
Thought developed while cycling. Don't get me started on what'd be possible if we replaced the millions of SUVs sold annually by (electric) bicycles ;)
Calculation to follow. Watch this space.
Calculation to follow. Watch this space.
Exhibit 1. Number of SUVs sold per year, globally. Differs slightly per source, but it's around 30 million (1/3 of the passenger car market), see e.g. bworldonline.com/developments-i…
Exhibit 2. Average 'curb weight' (empty car) of SUVs sold now. My best estimate: around 1,600 kg (Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Volkswagen Tiguan). There are of course much heavier ones.
Exhibit 3. Average curb weight of normal cars sold now. Pretty wide range, and they've become heavier too. My best estimate: around 1,200 kg (Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic).
Intermediate result 1. Assuming 75% of the weight difference between SUVs and normal cars is steel, around 300 kg of steel can be saved by selling a normal car instead of an SUV*. Replacing 30 million SUVs sold by normal cars = 9 million tonnes of steel saved per year.
Exhibit 4. A wind turbine (incl. the tower) contains around 100 tonnes of steel and iron per MW of capacity. From @vision23's blog (jaspervis.wordpress.com/2015/11/28/hoe…), confirmed by checking data for various turbines.
Intermediate result 2. The 9 million tonnes of steel saved annually by selling normal cars instead of SUVs would be enough to build 90 GW worth of wind turbines.
Exhibit 5. The total newly installed wind turbine capacity (globally) was 60 GW in 2019: gwec.net/gwec-over-60gw…
Final result: Replacing SUVs sold by normal cars would free up enough steel for all wind turbines produced and installed. Actually it would even be enough for 50% more new wind turbine capacity. That 100+% from my original thinking: probably a little over the top.
Main difference with my calculations on the bike: the difference in the amount of steel between an SUV and a normal car. My best estimate now: 300 kg. I thought it'd be 500 kg or more.
Important to note in this comparison: the extra steel in an SUV comes with *increased* CO2 emissions, while using it in wind turbines *reduces* CO2 emissions
That also means that actually making this swap would have a positive emission reduction effect on both sides.
That also means that actually making this swap would have a positive emission reduction effect on both sides.
Looking at it in another way: less than 10% of the steel used by the world's car industry is enough for all the wind turbines (60 GW) manufactured last year.
(@worldsteel says 900 kg steel per car * 95.6 mln cars/year = 86 mln tonnes of steel. Needed for wind turbines: 60 Mt)
(@worldsteel says 900 kg steel per car * 95.6 mln cars/year = 86 mln tonnes of steel. Needed for wind turbines: 60 Mt)
