Offshore-Wind
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The North and Baltic Seas, the coasts, and particularly the Wadden Sea are important habitats for many species of animals and plants, habitats which should be protected. The construction of offshore wind parks can affect these habitats, and it is therefore imperative that flora and fauna are protected when erecting, operating and decommissioning the turbines. For this reason, the German government is financing comprehensive research into the impact of wind parks on the marine environment. The findings will be taken into account in the approvals procedures for wind parks.
The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) has introduced a programme which aims to develop measures to reduce the impact of offshore wind parks on the marine environment. Important research projects under this programme include the FINO research platforms in the North and Baltic Seas and the accompanying ecological research at Germany's first wind park, alpha ventus, as part of the RAVE (research at alpha ventus) programme.
Physical, meteorological, hydrological and biological data is gathered on the FINO research platforms. The aim is to use this data to understand the potential impact of offshore wind parks on the marine environment and to use the findings to develop measures which reduce or even prevent harm to the marine environment in the scale-up of offshore wind energy. The three FINO research platforms in the North and Baltic Seas are:
The StUK standard requires comprehensive assessments in the offshore wind park planning areas. These include counting the populations of the various protected species (benthos, fish, birds and marine mammals) before and during the erection, operation and decommissioning of offshore wind parks and documenting any changes. The findings can be used to adapt procedures at each stage in the life of a wind park and thus reduce its impact on the marine ecosystem. The research project StUKplus is evaluating the findings of the examinations made under the StUK standard. To this end, more meticulous, large-scale investigations are being carried out and new methods tested for processes such as data recording.
StUKplus focuses on the following investigations:
The offshore wind park must also be connected to the grid in an environmentally compatible fashion. The administration of the Lower Saxon area of the Wadden Sea national park, for example, provided support and advice in respect of nature conservation when alpha ventus was connected. The insight gained in the course of this project made it possible to achieve a considerable reduction in the impact on the Wadden Sea when connecting the BARD offshore 1 wind park to the grid.
If the use of offshore wind energy is to be environmentally friendly, it should not pose a threat to the marine environment. The approvals process therefore includes an assessment of how great the impact can expected to be. Comprehensive research projects and the monitoring of construction and erection on the basis of the StUK standard improve our understanding and enable the influence of existing offshore wind parks on the marine environment to be assessed.
