OFFSHORE WIND

With the expansion of both fixed-bottom and floating offshore wind industry around the world, SMRU Consulting has spent the last decade delivering expert advice to developers and regulators to ensure the industry develops sustainably. The wide range of potential impacts on marine mammals from the construction, operation and decommissioning phases of offshore wind projects has lead to SMRU Consulting establishing a lead role advising this industry.

Some select offshore wind experience is summarised below:

  • Post consent monitoring at UK offshore wind farms: We are carrying out several studies for individual developers looking at the impacts of offshore wind farm construction and operation on marine mammal populations. This includes harbour seal telemetry study at Race Bank OWF in the Wash, and harbour seal pupping surveys in the wash for the Dudgeon OWF. We are also providing marine mammal and noise monitoring advice services to DONG Energy for Hornsea One.

  • Impact assessment services for several UK Round 2 and 3 and Scottish Territorial Offshore windfarms including: Moray Offshore Renewables Ltd and Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd, Triton Knoll R2 Wind Farm, European Offshore Wind Development Centre, Forth and Tay Offshore Wind Farm, Argyll Array Offshore Wind Farm and Navitus Bay Wind Park.

  • European Offshore Wind Development Centre Research: As part of a scientific research programme is hosted at the EOWDC, we are working with SMRU to improve the understanding of bottlenose dolphin ranging patterns along the east coast of Scotland. The data will be integrated with data from intensive sampling in the Moray Firth, through ongoing collaboration with Prof Paul Thompson from the University of Aberdeen Lighthouse Field Station in Cromarty.

  • Use of acoustic deterrent devices to mitigate impacts from pile driving: We reviewed the use of ADDs as marine mammal mitigation measures during pile driving. The report provides recommendations on the use of deterrent devices and recommendations for field tests of ADDs for effective prevention of injury to marine mammals during pile driving.

  • Dounreay Tri Floating Wind EIA: We authored the Marine Mammals chapter for the Hexicon Dounreay Tri Floating Wind ES which uses a novel platform and mooring system that doesn’t require pile driving.

For more information on our experience in this sector, please see our blog and publications.