Power Engineering - UK bird study will inform offshore wind developments

1 August 2006 - A pioneering aerial study into waterbird populations in key offshore wind farm development sectors has confirmed their large number and high diversity in areas that had previously been poorly understood.

This new information will inform offshore wind farm site applications so that they minimize the impact on the local environment. The data will also help government in meeting its EU obligation to monitor and protect seabirds.
Managed by the UK Department of Industry (DTI) with joint funding by industry and government, the research carried out by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) has greatly increased understanding of waterbird populations in the three areas that have been designated for the second round of offshore wind farm development.

Round two aims to deliver between five and seven GW of carbon free energy to the UK and will take place in three strategic areas - The Thames Estuary, the Greater Wash and off the coast of north Wales / northwest England.
Commenting on the findings UK Minister for Energy Malcolm Wicks said: "Only last week, distinguished scientists from 13 nations warned that climate change is contributing to a potentially catastrophic loss of species. It is estimated that 12 per cent of all birds, 23 per cent of mammals and a third of amphibians are threatened with imminent extinction.

"So in giving the green light to new wind energy projects we have to consider the global picture while also taking every step possible to minimise the direct impact on species living or migrating locally. This study is a major step forward in our understanding of water bird and wildfowl numbers in the areas we expect to see new developments."

"Offshore wind farms have the potential to make up a significant proportion of the Government's renewable energy targets, helping us in the race against climate change. Last year renewables broke through the four per cent barrier for the first time, well on our way to our aim of 20 per cent of electricity by 2020."

Peter Cranswick, Threatened Waterbirds Programme Manager at WWT, said: "The WWT has pioneered the technique of aerial surveying in the UK and these surveys have significantly increased our understanding of waterbirds around UK shores.

"This report reveals concentrations - in several cases of international significance - of birds such as the Common Scoter and the Red-throated Diver. There was no detailed knowledge of these bird sites until recently.
"The data will be crucial in identifying the importance of UK waters for waterbirds, to understanding how these species use this sensitive environment, to identifying and protecting important sites, and to ensure that these developments in near shore waters are planned and implemented in an appropriate and sensitive manner."

The report provides results from the aerial surveys undertaken between October 2004 and September 2005. It contains numbers of seabirds and wildfowl encountered and maps showing the large-scale distribution of the species present in each of the three strategic wind farm areas, as well as comparisons between recorded numbers and previous surveys. The studies in these areas are continuing.

The impact of offshore wind farms on bird life is one of the areas highlighted by the cross government Research Advisory Group (RAG), chaired by the DTI. This group was established in 2004 to draw up a list of the potential environmental issues surrounding the round two offshore wind farms and underlines the commitment to minimising any harmful effects of developing renewable energy projects of this type.

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