APPLICATION OF A LIFE CYCLE COST ASSESSMENT MODEL TO WIND OFF SHORE GENERATORS

In this paper a new methodological approach, Life Cycle Cost Assessment, is applied to evaluate the investment concerning a wind offshore plant location in Sicily East Coast, with the aim of highlighting the opportunity for distinguishing the single amounts of costs and of monetary and non-monetary benefits throughout the whole life cycle of the investment. In particular, we analyze economic quantification of the damage deriving from the construction of the system, divided into environmental impacts due to the construction of a single turbine and environmental impacts as a consequence of the construction of the foundations. The preliminary economic information for the LCCA analysis of the examined wind park offshore regards the management of the monetary capital initially invested, evaluation of the interest rate and other useful parameters, used to compute the present value of the cash-flows accrue during the project lifetime. In particular, the costs for the construction of the plant, disposal of material, operation and maintenance are evaluated. Moreover, the positive cash-flows are quantified as a consequence of the sell of wind energy and Renewable Energy Certificates. In this way, a more precise implementation of the LCCA in whatever type of structural investment is made possible, allowing the examination of all information useful for supporting the decision process