NABU Objects to Gennaker Offshore Wind Project

The German Nature And Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) has filed an objection against the building permit for the Gennaker offshore wind project.

NABU states that installing the project’s 103 turbines some 10km north of Darß will result in massive environmental damage as the units will be located in the middle of a bird migration corridor.

“Unfortunately, Gennaker reveals the total failure of the regional wind power planning. Despite massive conservation concerns and a lack of grid connection, the wind farm was approved. It would cut off one of the most important bird migration lines in the southern Baltic Sea,” said NABU President Jörg-Andreas Krüger.

NABU added that there are shortcomings in the approval, including incomplete procedural documents, however the incompatibility of the project with the adjacent bird sanctuaries is particularly critical. 

According to the organization, although current studies show that seabirds avoid turbines with a radius of over 10km, the Gennaker project takes into consideration only 2km, which massively underestimates the loss of habitat in two EU bird protection areas. 

“There is hardly a more unsuitable place for a wind farm. The Rügen-Schonen line is the central flight corridor for millions of migratory and resting birds, including cranes, mourning and iron ducks and countless songbirds,” said Stefan Schwill, State Chairman of NABU Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. 

“The expected number of collisions and loss of habitat are not compatible with nature and species protection law. The approval is illegal.”

To remind, in May 2019, the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern granted a license to OWP Gennaker GmbH, a subsidiary of wpd, to build and operate the 865.2MW offshore wind farm.

The project will feature Siemens Gamesa 8MW turbines with a rated output of 8.4MW, two offshore substations and the inter-array cables.