Wozep Newsletter - No. 2
This second Wozep newsletter describes the latest results of the Wozep research programme addressing the ecological effects of offshore wind farms. You can read about the population models for bird species that are vulnerable to the impact of offshore wind farms, and the stranding patterns of Harbour Porpoises on the North Sea coast. There is new information about the potential effects of wind farms on the ecosystem and, finally, you can learn more about the update of the framework for the assessment of the cumulative effects of offshore wind farms.
The first newsletter included a general introduction, which you can find here, about the background and scope of Wozep.
Framework for the Assessment of Ecological and Cumulative Effects (KEC) updated
Following on from the 2023 Roadmap for offshore wind energy, the 2030 Roadmap for offshore wind energy was published in March 2018. These documents describe the planned development of offshore wind farms on the Dutch Continental Shelf in the periods leading up to 2023 and 2030.
Bird population models
The effects of offshore wind farms on birds are determined in Environmental Impact Assessments and Appropriate Assessments. The criteria and thresholds used – such as the ORNIS 1% criterion and Potential Biological Removal (PBR) – are relatively simple. However, although they are easy to apply and understand, they come with limitations. By contrast, population models can predict the population dynamics of species based on the most recent scientific species-specific knowledge, and so they will probably be better predictors of bird mortality associated with wind farms.
Ecosystem effects
Not only will offshore wind be upscaled in the Dutch North Sea in the period leading up to 2030, further upscaling is also possible after that date. The impact on the North Sea ecosystem and its functioning may be fundamental. Deltares has conducted a literature study to see how local wind patterns, wave generation, tidal amplitudes, the stratification of the water column, dynamics of suspended particles and the bedload transport of sediment may be affected.
Wozep update meeting on 16 April 2019
The annual update meeting for the Wozep programme was in Scheveningen on Tuesday, 16 April 2019. There were several presentations in the morning on the scope and background of Wozep. They also covered the use of Wozep results for site decisions about the next round of Dutch offshore wind farms.