Environmental aspects of offshore wind

farms

An overview of research, policy and new developments in the Netherlands

Drs. Jakob Asjes, IMARES

Contents

Introduction IMARES

Environmental impact studies

Overview environmental policy

Marine Spatial Planning and Multifunctional Use

IMARES: Institute for Marine Resources

and Ecosystem Studies

A scientific institute for strategic and applied marine ecological research in support of maritime policies and innovations.

Sustainable maritime economy and seafood production in harmony with the protection of the sea.

IMARES, facts and figures

Annual turnover of € 30 Million

235 employees

60% with an academic degree

8 professors and 3 lectors

30 PhD students

>120 (Scientific) publications

annually

Active in ICES, Ascobans, IWC

and EFARO

Plans & Projects

in the

Netherlands

• OWEZ: www.noordzeewind.nl/en

• Prinses Amalia: www.prinsesamaliawindpark.eu/en

Construction Phase: Pile hammering

Direct mortality:

● Fish

● Fish larvae

Hearing disorder:

● Marine mammals

● Diving birds

Disturbance:

● Marine mammals

● Birds

● Fish

http://www.bfn.de/habitatmare/de/downloads/monitoring/BfN-Monitoring_Schweinswale_2008-2009.pdf

Pile driving – Behavioural effect

Before pile-driving

During pile-driving

Impact on fish larvae

Pile-driving sound → injuries and mortality in fish

Limited knowledge, especially for fish larvae

Fish larvae are planktonic → avoidance is limited or impossible

‘Larvaebrator’

Research on Impacts Operational Phase

● Underwater noise produced by wind turbines (fish and marine mammals)

● Impact on cetaceans, i.e. harbour porpoise

● Impact on seals

● Impact on local birds

● Impact on migrating birds

● Impact on breeding birds

● Impact on fish, demersal and pelagic

● Impact on zoobenthos

● Development of hard-substrate communities

Impacts on marine mammals: Porpoise

T-Pod/C-Pod

Harbour porpoise

Impacts on fish 1

Highly variable

2003 2007

Conclusion: no significant impacts!

Trawl surveys: pelagic fish and demersal fish Acoustic surveys: pelagic surveys

Fish 2 (DIDSON: www.didson.wur.nl)

Artificial Reef Effect

Environmental Measures

No pile hammering between 1st of January and 1st of July:

● Impacts on seals

● Impacts on fish larvae

Certain locations/initiatives didn’t get a permit:

● Impacts on lesser black backed gull

● Maritime safety

Mandatory: Environmental monitoring and evaluation program

Financial consequences!!

Marine Spatial Planning and Multifunctional

Use

WINDSPEED PROJECT: www.windspeed.eu

MESMA project: www.mesma.org

Multifunctional Use of Wind Farms:

● MERMAID project: www.mermaidproject.eu

● Vissen voor de Wind (Fishing for the Wind)

Windspeed: Decision Support System

Where to build? >>> Marine spatial planning process

WINDSPEED project as example, fisheries included

Windspeed: Decision Support System

National Water Plan

Model result

New multifunctional concepts

Thank you for

your attention!

Questions?

IMARES

To explore the potential of marine nature To improve the quality of life

IMARES Facebook Is frequently updated with relevant news items., meet us n Facebook, discuss with us on facebook. IMARES LinkedIn Objective is to facilitate contact and the exchange of information between (potential) external relations and IMARES. IMARES Youtube Provides the general public, stakeholders and media with a brief look into the work IMARES. IMARES Twitter An IMARES internet service publishing short messages. Just like LinkedIn and Facebook. IMARES Website The site aims to get visitors in contact with the relevant IMARES staff within three clicks. Most visited pages are projects, and dossiers. Electronic Newsletter The electronic newsletter is called e-MARES and aims to provide stakeholders with regular news updates. Via the IMARES website it is easy to register for the newsletter

IMARES Online