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TECHNICAL ARTICLES
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Published in issue No 105, July 2002 of The Hydrographic Journal
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Introducing the Hydrographer to Offshore Wind Farms
S
Keedwell
The Geocon Group, Axminster, UK
Abstract
The development of a
renewable and sustainable energy source is fundamental to many European
Government Energy policies. There are many types of renewable energy source, of
which wind power is one. Wind power has been developed in many onshore
locations. However, land for new developments is relatively scarce, and this is
compounded by the objections of local residents, necessitating developers to
look at the marine offshore environment. Careful consideration must be given to
the environmental factors when building an offshore wind farm. The hydrographer
and geoscientist will play a crucial role in these developments. This paper
introduces the subject of offshore wind energy and provides an overview of what
will be required of hydrographers and geoscientists.
Introduction
Renewable energy comes in many forms:
bio-energy, municipal solid waste (MSW), hydrogen, ocean, geothermal,
hydropower, solar and wind. The latter of these, wind power, has been utilised
as a source of energy since the dawn of time. Today it is used in several
guises - from propelling sailing vessels to drying our laundry. More
importantly, onshore wind power has been providing electricity to domestic and
commercial users for over 25 years and can be traced back to developments in
the early twentieth century. This technology is now being transferred offshore,
and many wind farms are planned for construction around the coastlines of the United
Kingdom, Ireland and Northern Europe in the next ten years. This is because
wind power is now economically viable and represents the most direct route by
which to satisfy the Renewable Energy Directive that was set by the European
Union in September 2001. Support for renewable energy projects in the United
Kingdom has come from the very highest levels of the Government:
“I want Britain to be a leading player in
this coming green industrial revolution. We have many strengths to draw on. [We
have] Some of the best marine renewable resources in the world - offshore wind,
wave energy and tidal power.”
Tony Blair, [UK] Prime Minister,
‘Environment:
the Next Steps’, March 2001
The decline in western oil and gas supplies,
combined with increasing concern over the security of overseas resources for
future utilisation, is also escalating the requirement for renewable and
sustainable energy supplies. Support from European governments and investment
from the oil and gas majors is increasing the number and profile of renewable
projects. It must be noted that wind power alone is not sufficient to provide
for our energy requirements. In countries such as Canada, hydroelectricity has
been developed to provide 60% of the energy needs.
In real terms, every megawatt of electricity
produced by an offshore wind farm will equate to the energy requirements of 685
UK homes. However, the reduction in emissions such as carbon dioxide, sulphur
dioxide and nitrogen oxide into the atmosphere will play an important role in
reducing the Greenhouse Effect.
The hydrographic surveyor or geoscientist
will play a crucial role in the site investigation, installation and monitoring
of offshore wind farm projects. This paper will provide an overview of
renewable energy, the history of wind power up to its migration offshore and a
review of current and future projects.
The Growing Need for
Renewable Energy
The requirement for a renewable and
sustainable energy source is based on several factors, of which the following
are most notable:
- Growing concerns over the
security of oil and gas supplies
o Increase in the possibilities of Middle Eastern conflicts
o Problems with the utilisation of the hydrocarbon resources in Venezuela
o Most major future energy sources are in
politically unstable areas
- Huge long-term growth in
energy demand forecast
o Production in the North Sea and Gulf of Mexico offshore in decline
o Forecasts assume that Saudi Arabia can double oil production by 2020
o The demand for gas is exceeding oil,
especially in Europe and the
USA
- Growing environmental
pressures
o Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect
o The general public becoming more
environmentally aware
- Growing
world population
- The
cost of renewable energy decreasing to become competitive against fossil fuels
Source:
Douglas Westwood
Given the above listed points, the
continuing growth of world population, especially in developing countries is a
major concern. At the time of writing this article [June 2002] the US Bureau of
the Census estimated the world population to be 6,229,941,925. The population
will continue to grow at a staggering rate, refer to Figure 1. Energy supplies
will need to match the population growth. Thus a continuing reliance on the
current oil and gas reserves would not be prudent.

Fig. 1: Estimated
world population growth
Supply from Middle Eastern oil and gas
reserves may be possible, however this could conceivably be at a premium price.
The following succinctly describes the position of OPEC with regard to
supplying other countries with oil and gas:
“OPEC simply cannot produce such amounts
of crude, whatever the circumstances or the price of oil.”
A M S Bakhtiari, Senior Corporate Planner,
National Iranian Oil Company
Source:
Douglas-Westwood
The current energy mix and future
projections are shown in Figure 2. Please note that renewable energy is
included (this refers to all sections of the renewable industry), however the
consumption of oil, gas and coal increases exponentially, whereas renewable
energy maintains a steady increase and is expected to double by 2020. The
author considers this to be a conservative estimate.

Fig. 2:
Historical, current and future world energy mix
Source: EIA 2002 p 11
The increasing use of fossil fuels leads to
an increase in the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The
information provided in Table 1 indicates that the increase in energy
consumption will be 17% per decade; the equivalent increase in carbon dioxide
emissions will be under 16%. The use of renewable energies will help to
increase the margin between energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions,
and this is an important step in alleviating the Greenhouse Effect and Global
Warming.

Table 1: Past and
future world energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by region
Source: Energy Information
Administration, Dept of Energy US Government.
Report # DOE/EIA-0484 (2002), 26 March
2002, http://www.eia.doe.gov/
Greenhouse Effect
Continual reliance on fossil fuels in the
production of electricity leads to the production of carbon dioxide gas, which
is the main catalyst for the Greenhouse Effect thus leading to an increase in
the temperature of the planet. It is not in the scope of this paper to discuss
the effects of an increase in temperature on the planet, however, it must be
noted that this is another driving factor behind the interest in renewable
energies. The utilisation of renewable energies as an energy source will help
to significantly decrease carbon dioxide emissions. Figure 3 illustrates the
world’s top six carbon dioxide polluters.

Fig. 3: The
world’s top six carbon dioxide polluters by global region
Source: EIA 2002 p 8
Wind energy is only one of several renewable
energy sources. Each country will choose an energy source that will suit its
environment, economy and natural renewable energy sources. An exemplary
illustration is the use of hydroelectricity in Canada. In 1999 60% of the 551
billion kilowatt hours generated was supplied by its network of hydroelectric
dams (EIA, 2002). Similarly, Bangladesh is implementing a system of biomass
electricity plants to support its energy needs. As a large portion of the
indigenous population is from an agrarian background, this will help to enhance
the economy, whilst helping to build an electricity infrastructure in the rural
areas. (Biomass electricity plants would be based within the production areas
of the biomass crops and would supply electricity to the local population).
In Western Europe, hydroelectricity
[generally] has been fully developed. The following succinctly states the
current position of the UK on the production of renewable energy:
“Today, less than 3 percent of the UK’s
energy needs come from renewables. And, as I never tire of saying at gatherings
like this, that even most of that 3 percent figure has got nothing to do with
what has happened in the 90s, the 80s and the 70s. It goes right back to the
halcyon days when people had the vision to build hydroelectric stations in the
1940s and 50s. So that’s where most of our 3 per cent comes from right up to
the present day, and there’s a long way to reach the target of 10% in 2010 and
so on, and 20 per cent by 2020 as suggested by the PIU*.”
*PIU is the acronym for the newly formed
Cabinet Office for the Performance and Innovation Unit.
Brian Wilson MP, Energy Minster,
UK Offshore Wind 2002
Offshore Wind: The UK Government View -
Keeping
up the pace and providing the basis for major expansion
Table 2 compares the cost of fossil fuels,
renewable and nuclear energies. As discussed previously, hydroelectricity has
been utilised where possible and new projects are planned in developing
countries such as China, India, Malaysia, Central and South America. The Three
Gorges Hydroelectric Dam in China, which will produce a massive 18,200MW of
electricity when construction and commissioning is completed, has come under
pressure from environmental groups. Dam construction has resulted in the
flooding of land, and this in turn has led to the loss of habitats for
indigenous animals and the relocation of thousands of people (EIA, 105).
Therefore careful consideration has to be given to the construction of [all]
renewable energy projects so that their impact on the environment is minimal.
Thus, it has been necessary to carefully develop and monitor offshore wind farm
construction, to ensure the environmental impacts are minimal.
The UK has many options available for the
development of renewable and sustainable energy supplies. Relying on wind alone
is not a solution - a renewable energy mix will be developed. At this present
time wind energy is the most favourable option to meet EU directives in the
current time-frame and the UK Renewables Obligation.

Table 2: Cost
comparisons between different energy sources
Source:
Douglas-Westwood, The World Renewable Energy Report
*Direct studies for offshore wind farm
construction costs indicate that the cost would be 5.0 cents/kWh over a planned
20-year period and 4.0 cents/kWh for 25 years. This includes all installation
and maintenance costs, including grid reinforcement. Please note that the
foundations would be expected to have a lifetime of 50 years (Krohn, 1997).
In 2001 the European Parliament approved a
Renewables Directive that obliges European Union members to double their
renewable share of total energy consumption by 2010. In real terms, this means
that the share of total inland energy consumption met by renewable energy
resources should be 12% in 2010 from the current estimated level of 6%.
The United Kingdom Renewables Energy
Obligation required electricity suppliers to derive 3% of their electricity
from renewables at the start of 2002. This will rise to 10% by 2010. To obtain
these targets electricity suppliers are looking at several options, of which
offshore wind energy is currently the most attractive, as it is the most
economically viable and, if the development is managed correctly, will meet the
requirements of the UK Energy Obligations in 2010.
The UK [and Europe] has a vast wind
resource, but onshore sites are being utilised quickly and the development of
onshore wind farms frequently comes into conflict with local communities on the
use of the limited land resources. The next step is to move offshore, which
will help to alleviate these problems. The UK is in an excellent position to
move the production of wind energy offshore. Key factors are:
- The UK territorial waters
offer a wind rich resource environment
- Established offshore
companies that would easily adapt to the construction of offshore wind farms
- A large manufacturing
skills base
- Service companies that
will be able to provide support to offshore wind farm construction, maintenance
and operation
- An understanding of the
risks associated with working and investing in the offshore environment
- All
the above may also give the UK a potential to export these skills
Source:
BWEA Meeting 2002
A study by the Risoe National Laboratory
produced the wind resource map for Western Europe, as shown in Figure 4.

+ > 9 ms-1 +
8-9 ms-1 +7-8 ms-1 +5.5-7 ms-1 +< 5.5 ms-1
Fig. 4: European
Offshore Wind Resources Map
Source:
Risoe National Laboratory (1989)
Moving wind farms offshore also offers
further benefits:
Higher wind speeds
Theoretically, the available wind potential
(based on a height of 60m above sea level and a average wind speed of 8m/s)
around the coast of the UK would match current demands three times over. The
wind potential offshore Germany would provide half of their current energy
requirements. Research and development into the modification to offshore wind
modelling software has indicated that these estimates may increase by 5 to 10%
as more data is collected. The installation of anemometer masts on proposed
offshore wind farm sites will provide information to refine the model.
Low wind shear
When considering wind shear, the low sea
state offshore compares very favourably with uneven onshore environments and
may result in the height of wind towers decreasing by a factor of 0.75 of the
rotor diameter. Onshore wind towers are typically the height of the rotor
diameter - rotor diameters can range from 50m up to 100m.
Low turbulence intensity
The turbulence of the wind above the sea is
less than that onshore. This is due to the temperature variations at different
altitudes in the atmosphere above the sea, which are notably smaller than above
land. The penetration of sunlight into the sea is significantly higher and heat
is absorbed, whilst on land the penetration and absorption of heat is
appreciably less.
Turbulence intensity affects the lifespan of
a wind turbine and its components, leading to greater maintenance and hence
operational downtime on land-based units.
Wind shade
The surrounding terrain and upwind obstacles
cause wind shade. During a site study software packages such as WindPro™ or
WaSP™ are used to model the wind resource. For onshore studies, the surrounding
environs (eg building, trees and terrain) are surveyed and entered into the
wind resource-modelling package.
Studies of offshore sites have shown that
modelling the wind resource is far more complicated than onshore. This is due
to the surface roughness of the sea, which is complicated to model due to the
following varying parameters:
- Wind speed
- Water depth
- The distance of the
site from the surrounding shoreline
- Tidal flows
- Atmospheric
conditions
As more research and development is
completed, the wind models will be modified to the marine environment.
Land use and planning conflicts resolved
As previously mentioned, the development of
onshore wind farms can come into conflict with the local population over the
use of land. Moving offshore will help to alleviate this problem, however, it
is envisaged that planning conflicts will continue. Offshore wind farms will
require onshore support facilities for the transmission cable. From these
facilities a cable will have to be connected into the National Grid system, it
will therefore be important and necessary to assess the level of impact of the
facilities and subsequent transmission lines to the National Grid.
Visual impact and noise
The construction of wind farms offshore will
decrease their visual and noise impact, which has been one of the greatest
areas of opposition for onshore projects.
Offshore Wind Power –
History
Modern wind power is based on a relationship
charting several thousand years. Onshore windmills have been an integral part
of economic and social progress. In the nineteenth century working windmills
were only eclipsed by the onset of the Industrial Revolution, as were
commercial sailing vessels. Converting wind power to electrical energy was
pioneered by Charles F Brush (1849-1929) and Poul la Cour (1846-1908).
Charles F Brush invented an extremely
efficient DC (direct Current) dynamo, and more importantly he pioneered the
design of the first automatic wind turbine in the winter of 1887-88 (Danish
Wind Industry Association). The rotor diameter was 17m and it had 144 rotor
blades constructed from cedar wood. It had an operational life span of 20 years
and was utilised to power batteries in the cellar of his mansion. Despite its
size, the turbine produced only 12kW –owing to the slow rotation of the blades
– and was thus an inefficient unit. The Frenchman Poul la Cour experimented
with various blade configurations and discovered that fast rotating wind
turbines with fewer blades are far more efficient at producing electricity. By
1918 approximately 120 utility companies in Denmark had a wind turbine from 20
to 35kW producing a total of 3MW, meeting an estimated 3% of the then Danish
energy consumption at that time.
The wind energy industry grew slowly from
the early twentieth century. The first oil crisis in 1973 prompted several
countries to look for alternative energy sources. In Denmark, power companies
immediately looked at the manufacture of larger wind turbines. This was
mirrored in Germany, Sweden, UK and the USA. The manufacture of these large
turbines was expensive and thus the high price demanded to cover the cost of
construction was deemed too high for the energy market to sustain. However the
advent of the Nordtank 55kW wind turbine was the catalyst for the great
Californian wind rush in the early 1980s. This was enabled by the technological
and industrial manufacturing breakthroughs – essentially the commercial
manufacture of the Nordtank 55kW wind turbine – which decreased the cost of
producing electricity by 50% per kilowatt-hour. At that time, in California,
the economic and political conditions were also favourable, until the support
mechanisms were removed in the mid-1980s and new projects disappeared (Danish
Wind Industry Association).
In Europe, especially in Denmark,
engineering ingenuity, the experimentation of several individuals and the
formation of the Risoe National Laboratory supported the utilisation and
development of wind energy.
The development of the Rilsager, Tvind and
Bonus wind turbines helped to develop the modern wind turbine. As wind farm
developments move offshore, further work will be required in developing wind
turbines that can withstand the corrosive and damaging effects of the marine
environment. A comprehensive study of the effects of the marine environment was
reviewed in the Concerted Action for Offshore Wind Energy in Europe and the
Offshore Wind Energy Network workshop on Structure and Foundation Design of
Offshore Wind Installations. Both papers are available on the internet (see the
list of references).
Offshore Wind Farm Site
Investigation and Environmental Impact Assessment
A preliminary desktop study will first
assess a site. Primarily, this will be to assess the wind potential of the
site. The developer will refer to the wind atlas developed by the Risoe
Laboratory for baseline information on the site (see Figure 4). Consideration
will also have to be given to the following:
- Access to the local and
national grid
- Visual impact – Is the
site sufficiently far enough from shore that visual impact is at a minimum?
- The potential for local
conflicts – Is the proposed site within a local fishing area? Would the
construction of wind farm cause interference to commercial or military radar
sites?
- The
proximity to sites of scientific interest and breeding/spawning grounds of
birds and fish
A review of the local environs will help in
further qualifying the site and at this point the developer will then decide on
the route he will take when applying for an offshore wind farm consent. There
are two options currently available to developers:
1. Electricity
Act 1989/FEPA1/CPA2 and also the following possible consents depending on the site and
location:
- Town and Country Planning Act 1990 – Sections 57 or 90
(eg Onshore
substation)
- Electricity Act 1989 – Section 37 (Onshore overhead power lines)
- Water Resources Act 1991 – Section 109
(If erecting structures
in a water course)
2. Transport
and Works Acts (TWA)/FEPA and other possible consents:
Offshore
wind farm developers can choose to obtain an order under the TWA. Using Section
3 (1)(b) of the TWA, the Secretary for State for Trade and Industry (or in
Wales this would be the National Assembly) can make an Order relating to, or to
matters ancillary to, the carrying out of works which interfere with rights of
navigation in waters within or adjacent to England and Wales up to the seaward
limits of the territorial sea (Crown Copyright 2001).
However,
the making of such an order does not confer planning permission for any
development, but the developer can at the same time request that planning is
deemed to be granted. Alternatively the developer can apply for planning
permission from the Local Planning Authority (LPA).
Both FEPA and CPA Acts require developers to
assess the potential and magnitude of harmful effects when considering the
exploitation of the marine environment. Cumulative impacts from multiple
projects within the same area would also have to be considered. It is most
probable that when making and supporting an application for the development of
an offshore wind farm an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) would be
required.
Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA)
The term EIA describes the procedure for
compiling the environmental information relating to a site (and surrounding
environs) and measuring its predicted effects on the environment and the scope
for ensuring that they are kept to a minimum. An offshore wind farm EIA within
UK Territorial waters will have the following information within it – both site
and project specific:
Sedimentary and Coastal Processes
The scope of the sedimentary processes study
will be to assess the magnitude and cumulative impacts of the construction of
the wind farm within the local site, but it will also consider far-field
impacts such as the local coastline, Special Sites of Scientific Interest
(SSSIs) and areas of conservation interest. This will include:
- Sediments (particle size,
distribution within the water column and geochemical composition)
- Hydrodynamics (eg waves,
local tidal flows and seabed topography)
- Sedimentary environment
(eg sediment transport, re-suspension of sediments and deposition of sediments
within the long-shore and cross-shore environment)
- Sedimentary structures
(eg channels, banks and stability thereof)
- Suspended
Sediment Concentrations (SSC)
Source:
Crown Copyright 2001
Information from the above should be used in
addressing the following issues:
- Scour around the subsea
foundation of the wind turbine and cables and to quantify the basis for scour
protection – if needed – including free-span analysis.
- The
design of the wind farm array and the subsequent effects it will have on waves
(constructive and destructive), and the effect this will have on sediment
spatial distribution. The designed array will also affect the diffraction of
waves onto the surrounding coastline, thus potentially causing alternate
regions of high erosion and sediment deposition. Quantification of the change
in wave energy and angle of approach and the subsequent impact on the coast,
especially in sensitive areas (SSC), must be assessed.
- Assessment
of the potential impact the wind farm array will have on the mobilisation of
seabed sediments during non-linear interaction, such as storms, and the
subsequent deposition of the sediments within the local environs.
- Measurement
of the near-field sediment depth and quantifying its impact on foundation
stability and the turbine structure; the requirement for foundation material,
if necessary, and the impact on cable burial.
- Measurement
of localised sediment transport and enhanced SSCs during seabed preparation
(dredging) and cable burying (ploughing and water jetting) operations.
Marine Benthos
Marine benthos studies would be completed to
support an EIA. The study would be site-specific and would involve seabed
surveys and sampling to quantify the baseline population and species.
Techniques such as grab and core sampling for macrobenthic infauna and epifauna
using trawls and dredges would be used. Samples of the seabed should also be
collected at each sample site. An ROTV or diver survey may also be required to
record visual data in support of the EIA. Sampling design, practices, frequency
and Quality Assurance (QA)/Quality Control (QC) procedures must be adopted prior
to the survey work.
The planning of the benthic study must take
into account the envisaged effects of the construction of the wind farm. The
following should therefore be taken into account when planning the survey:
- The physical effects of
construction (ie seabed preparation) on the water quality and the deposition of
sediments on benthic colonies.
- Effects of and level of
scour on the seabed environment and the ameliorative action taken.
- The colonisation of
structures and subsequent effects, such as modification to biodiversity and the
increase in the level of food available for shellfish and fish communities.
Attention must also be paid to the de-commissioning of structures and the
effect that will have on benthic biota.
- The
cumulative effect of man-made activities within the marine benthic environment
that may have a cumulative effect on benthic biota.
Analysis of the data must take into account
the patterns and trends and incorporate a plan for future studies to measure
the effects of the wind farm on the marine benthic communities.
Fisheries resource (including commercial
fishing)
The wind farm may adversely affect the local
fisheries resource, disrupting local spawning grounds and patterns, such as
inhibiting the movement of adult and juvenile fish. The study should
incorporate not only the site, but also a reasonable area surrounding the
vicinity of the site. The following fisheries resources will need to be
described:
- Fish spawning grounds.
- Juvenile fish nursery
grounds and seasonal migration areas, such as over-wintering areas for
crustaceans.
- Migratory
routes for shellfish and fish.
The site will also have to be assessed with
regard to the impact on commercial fishing operations. The impacts of the wind
farm construction on commercially exploited fish and shellfish populations,
access to fishing grounds; interference to commercial fishing activities and
implications during the construction phase will have to be quantified.
Commercial claims and reimbursement for loss in revenue may also have to be
taken into account.
Commercial and recreational activity
Construction of wind farms may impinge on
local commercial and recreational activities, such as sailing, power boating
and marine shipping traffic travelling to and from commercial ports etc. A full
risk assessment will have to be conducted prior to the construction of the wind
farm; this would include traffic frequency and collision risk analysis. A
design for marking the offshore wind farm (ie navigation lights) would have to
be designed prior to construction. The effects of the marine lights on marine
birds would need to be considered (CA-OWEE, p7-7).
Archaeology
The site will have to be assessed to ensure
that it will not be constructed on historically important wreck site, war graves
or palaeontological/palaeogeological features.
Marine mammals
The site will be assessed for the proximity
of marine mammals. The effects of noise, vibration, physical intrusion, visual
disruption and interruption to known migratory routes/feeding grounds must be
assessed. The internal cables between wind turbines and the shore connection
will also have to be assessed to ensure the impact of their electromagnetic
noise distortion on the biological sonar of marine mammals is minimal (CA-OWEE,
p7-26).
Birds
As part of the EIA the site will be assessed
to ascertain the impact on birds. This will address both the local sea-bird
population and seasonal migration. Research into bird collision with onshore
wind farms has concluded that the impact on birds is minimal. However, the
incident at the Øresund Bridge between Denmark and Sweden, in which 600 birds
were killed in a single day due to collision with the bridge caused
considerable public outrage. The cause of the incident was attributed to the
illumination of lights during a foggy day. Thus, careful attention must be paid
to navigational lighting to ensure a similar incident does not re-occur in the
future (CA-OWEE, p7-26). Research in this area has suggested that the layout of
the wind farm array should be shaped into bird friendly corridors (CA-OWEE,
p7-6)
The Role of the
Hydrographer/Geoscientist in Offshore Wind Farm Development
The hydrographer/geoscientist has supported
and continues to support the development of the following industries:
- The oil and gas industry
(eg exploration and production)
- Submarine cable industry
(telecoms and electrical)
- Port infrastructure and
shipping channels
- Sea defence programmes
- Precious mineral
extraction
- Dredging
Many of the skills developed in supporting
the above industries will be brought to bear on the development of offshore
wind farms. The types of data required for an offshore wind farm development
are listed in the Table 3.

Table 3: Data
types and acquisition methods
The data described in Table 3 will be used
for the following:
- In support of the EIA
application.
- Installation of
meteorology mast for site-specific wind resource assessment.
- Subsea transmission cable
engineering, including onshore landing sites. This will also be extended to
mapping the local environs for onshore facilities for planning application
purposes.
- Benthic survey workscope.
- Planning of the
geotechnical survey.
- In
support of the installation of the wind turbines, ie identifying seabed hazards
for jack-up/specialised installation vessels is critical.
The general consensus is that site survey
data acquisition should be completed at an early stage.
Currently Installed and
Planned Offshore Wind Farm Developments
Table 4 lists the currently installed and
operational wind farms in Europe.
New offshore wind farms which are planned
for construction in Europe and North America, between 2002 and 2005, are shown
in Table 5. The construction of these wind farms will be phased, and may take
an additional 5 years to build, taking completion dates up to 2010. There will
be a massive programme to obtain licenses for sites, complete EIA for planning
permission and construction of offshore wind farms.
In the UK there are currently 13 sites
applying for consents to build an offshore wind farm. Currently each site is at
a different stage in the project; refer to Figure 5 for their locations around
the UK coastline.
Conclusion
The future development of offshore wind
farms is crucial in the development of a renewable and sustainable energy mix
that is friendly to the environment. Careful consideration must be given to the
development of offshore wind farms so that their impact on the environment is
minimal during installation, operation, maintenance and de-commissioning. The
next ten years will see many new developments that will require and utilise the
skills developed by hydrographic surveyors and geoscientists.

Table 4.
Installed and operating offshore wind farms in Europe

Table 5: Planned offshore wind farm construction in
2002 to 2005
Source: Henderson A, (2002) British Wind
Energy Conference and http://home.planet.nl/~windsh/offshoreplans.html

Fig. 5: Planned UK offshore wind sites
Source: www.offshorewindfarms.co.uk
Please note that the go ahead for the Scroby Sands development has
now been given.
Notes
1 Food and Environmental
Act 1985
2 Coastal Protection Act
1949 (Section 34)
References
All URL addresses for articles from online
sources were correct on the 27/06/02
Krohn, S. (1999). Offshore Wind Energy:
Full Speed Ahead. www.windpower.org
Carryer, R and Deeming K. (Undated). ‘Environmental
risk for offshore wind farm developers: lessons from other industries’.
www.owen.eru.rl.ac.uk/documents/bwea20_40.pdf
Cheshire, J H. (2001). Cabinet Office PIU
Energy Policy Review. Summary of key themes and points in the submissions.
www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/innovation/2001/energy/SumKeyPoints.pdf
Crown Copyright (2001). Offshore Wind
Farms: Guidance note for Environmental Impact Assessment in respect of FEPA and
CPA requirements. www.cefas.co.uk/publications/Windfarm-guidance.pdf
Danish Wind Industry Association, DWIA
(2002). The Wind Energy Pioneer – Poul la Cour. www.windpower.org
Danish Wind Industry Association, DWIA
(2002). Offshore Wind Conditions. www.windpower.org
Danish Wind Industry Association, DWIA
(2002). The Great Californian Wind Rush. www.windpower.org
Danish Wind Industry Association, DWIA
(2002). The Wind Energy Pioneers: The Gedser Wind Turbine.
www.windpower.org
Danish Wind Industry Association, DWIA
(2002). The Wind Energy Pioneers – 1940-1950. www.windpower.org
Danish Wind Industry Association, DWIA
(2002). Wind Turbines From the 1980s. www.windpower.org
Danish Wind Industry Association, DWIA
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