A scarecrow system installed on the substation of the Galloper offshore wind farm has reduced seabird guano on the structure from approximately 50-60% coverage to almost none in the last 12 months.
The Scaretech system was installed on the substation located 27km off the Suffolk coast in the UK in July last year to address the guano problem.
Seabird poo or guano is said to be a huge problem for the global offshore wind industry as it poses a serious health risk due to its carcinogenic qualities, and is expensive and unpleasant to remove.
The Scaretech device is based on a traditional scarecrow concept and adapted for the offshore environment of a wind farm or oil platform. It emits sporadic loud noises and high-intensity strobe lights which deters seabirds from landing on the structure.
“There is an abundance of seabass around our Galloper site, which attracts large numbers of seabirds. These in turn generate significant quantities of guano, which poses an unpleasant health and safety hazard for us,” said Kieron Drew , Interim O&M Manager at Galloper.
“This is a new innovation for the wind industry and it certainly worked for us. Once we installed the Scaretch device, we saw dramatic reductions in the amount of guano. In fact, the problem is now almost non-existent.”