The Real Cost Associated With Neodymium Wind Turbines

According to research organized by a group of UK scientists, it is predicted that 15% of the country’s energy requirements in the year 2020 are expected to come from renewable energy sources. They have also considered the wind farms that are popping in every corner of the country to come into this conclusion. These reports have created several contradictions among people as well. There is much debate on the efficiency of using wind turbines to cater the energy requirements. However, experts say that there is nothing much to worry about since this is totally a clean energy source.

These contradictions have forced the scientists to analyze all the aspects of using wind turbines, from cradle to grave. They include the manufacturing process of wind turbines, subsequent installation, maintenance process, and operation. At the end of the day, the wind turbines are stripped down into waste material and the scientists have also analyzed their impact on the environment after that. To summarize these reports, an environmental benefit has been identified by starting and running wind farms. However, the biggest environmental impact has been identified as coming from the foundation.

The process of extracting neodymium is creating a big hassle on the environment. The workers use huge amounts of acid in order to extract neodymium from other materials. This has resulted in unusable groundwater in the inner part of Mongolia. Apart from that, a large percentage of energy is wasted inside the turbines when the kinetic energy of wind power is converted into electricity. In the long run, they are beneficial for the environment since it is a green energy source. The emission of carbon from fossil fuel burning creates a variety of toxins that are harmful to the environment that results in global warming. However, wind turbines do not create such a big impact on the environment.

The price of neodymium is perfectly affordable, which has played a major role in the usage of it in the industrial applications. Neodymium magnet is usually found in bastnasite and in monazite. Pure neodymium can easily be extracted from these compounds under a very low cost. The acids that require in the process have also supported the above-mentioned fact. This has helped the manufacturers to create wind turbines at affordable prices and produce inexpensive and potentially environmental harmless energy.