| |
| Project: |
Assessment
of Impact of Offshore Wind Energy Structures on
the Marine Environment |
| Client: |
Marine
Institute |
| Sector: |
Government
& State Agencies |
| Location: |
Ireland |
| Partners: |
Ecologicol
Consultancy Services (Ecoserve), Dublin
School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of
Southampton |
|
The Marine Institute commissioned Byrne Ó Cléirigh
and our associate partners to examine the impact
of offshore wind energy structures (wind farms)
on the subsea marine environment.
Offshore wind farms can have positive and
negative impacts on the underwater environment
before installation, during construction of the
foundations and laying of electrical cables and
during operation. Some negative impacts can be
mitigated through care in site selection,
foundation design, and operational planning.
The study team reviewed three main areas, viz.:
physical impacts, biological impacts and
artificial reefs (and their impacts on fish
populations). Byrne Ó Cléirigh's review of the
physical impacts of offshore wind fams included
assessments of:
 |
The
type, spacing, physical dimensions and orientation of structures that
had been used in offshore wind farms in other countries and the water
depths in which they had been built; |
|
The
design life and decommissioning processes associated with undersea
structures; |
|
The
interaction between sea currents and different foundation types and
different wind farm layouts in the context of Irish conditions
(changes to currents & banks, scouring of foundation bases etc.); |
|
The
physical impacts related to the laying of the undersea cables required
to connect wind farms to the grid; |
|
Other
restrictions which can significantly reduce the technical potential
for offshore wind farms. |
We
also investigated the planning consents required
for offshore wind energy development in Ireland
and other Eurpoean countries.
In our report, we made recommendations to assist
the Marine Institute ensure that the generation
of electricity in offshore wind farms is achieved
with minimum impact on the marine environment,
that the negative impacts of development are
mitigated and that the potential for positive
impacts is maximised. |
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