Risks in the event of loss or damage

This table evaluates the opportunities and risks of renewable energies compared with conventional power generation when loss or damage occurs. Green fields represent positive features, red fields negative ones.

Frequency of loss or damage to the plant due to internal or external causes

In the case of wind power plants, the frequency of loss and damage, particularly due to internal failure, is very high. Time and again, it turns out that the loads on individual components are considerably higher than originally assumed. Many technical problems are still cropping up with the other types of renewable energy generation owing to the lack of experience.

The amount of the individual loss

The size of the loss depends on the value of the installations and the additional costs generated by the loss. Individual losses at large-scale plants and small installations offshore are therefore very expensive. Compared to the price of the installations themselves, the costs are high because of the expenditure on special vessels and divers.

Danger to the environment in the event of a loss

The probability of nuclear power plants constituting a risk to the environment is very low because they are generally subject to intensive monitoring. When a loss does occur, however, the consequences can be devastating, as Chernobyl showed. A hydroelectric power station can also cause major damage to the environment if the dam fails.

Terrorism

The decisive questions in assessing the terrorism risk are whether an object is an interesting target for terrorists and what effects a terrorist attack would have. A wind farm comprising a large number of individual wind turbines at distances of several hundred metres, for example, is not an attractive target for an attack using an aircraft or explosives. The consequences of an attack on a nuclear power plant or the destruction of a dam, on the other hand, may be catastrophic.