Princess Amalia Wind Farm Impact Monitoring 2003-2013 Glasgow, 12 June 2014
Huygen van Steen
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Dutch offshore wind farms
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Under construction
Operational
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Impact assessment in the Netherlands
• Monitoring not included in EIA/AA • Government sets framework for monitoring in permit
–Parameter –Method –Time/Duration 3
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Monitoring and Evaluation Program
• Approach –Design and approval –Tender and coordination –Review and approval
• 12 monitoring parameters (biotic and abiotic) • Focus here on 5 main ecological impacts
1. Sound 2. Porpoises 3. Fauna 4. Fish 5. Sea Birds
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Underwater Sound
Question • How much underwater noise
during construction and operation?
Method • 2007: Piling
–Mobile measurements –Hydrophones @ 2 locations
• 2013: Operational –Fixed measurements –Hydrophones @ 2 locations
Results • Operational sound negligible • Piling sound significant
–Hammer energy 800 kJ –Steel monopile ø 4m –Sounds like...
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Harbour Porpoises
Question • Do they avoid the
operational wind farm?
Method • 4 CPOD’s • In- & Outside PAWP • 1 year (2009-2010) Results • No difference in activity • High in March and
December, less activity in April-May
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Macro Fauna (>1mm)
Question • How did habitat change impact
diversity and numbers?
Methods • Soft substrate
–BACI –Boxcore and Dredge samples
• Hard substrate –After construction –Video and scrape samples
Results • Soft substrate - no difference • Hard substrate
–+0.12% substrate,+10% fauna, +49% biomass
–Molluscs, Cnidaria, Crustacea… 7
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Fish
Question • Did PAWP have a nursery effect?
Method • Fish trawls inside wind farm in
2013, compared with existing data outside
Results • Demersal fish
–Coming soon • Round fish
–17 species; mostly herring, sprat and whiting
–More greater sand eels in wind farm!
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Gre
ate
r Sand E
el
Beam Trawl Otter Trawl
© Greenpeace © Greenpeace
© British Sea Fishing
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Birds
Question • Did PAWP have an impact on sea birds? Method • Collision
–Method not available • Avoidance / Habitat Loss
–Ship based transects in/outside wind farms
Results • Avoidance / Habitat Loss
–Some habitat loss for some species –Love-Hate relationship!
• Possible effect wind farm density
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Love
Hate
Neutral
Corm
ora
nt
Gulls
Gannet
© Mmo iwdg - Wikimedia Commons
© andrewchen.co
© Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
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Conclusion
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Positive
Neutral
Negative
Construction phase
Operational phase
Positive
Neutral
Negative
Neutral
Neutral
Fauna Fish Birds
Sound Porpoises
Birds
Sound Porpoises Fish Birds
Fauna Fish Birds
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Lessons Learned
• Similar permit requirements –Different attitude – Improved and intensified relationship with the
competent authority • Focus on knowledge gaps
–Permit requirements can be adjusted based on state of the art knowledge
–Contribute to relevant ‘holistic’ projects oORJIP: Bird Avoidance and Collision Risk oDEPONS: Impact on porpoise populations
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DEPONS Disturbance Effects on Porpoise
Population in the North Sea
ORJIP Offshore Renewables Joint
Industry Program
http://depons.au.dk/ www.carbontrust.com
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Thank You
• Huygen van Steen [email protected]
• Jan Dam
• Sytske van den Akker
• PAWP reports available from:
http://projecten.eneco.nl/prinses-amaliawindpark/milieumonitoring/
• LUD baseline reports available from: http://projecten.eneco.nl/eneco-luchterduinen/milieumonitoring
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