The Commission for the Environment, Climate Change and Energy of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) adopted today, June 30, a report confirming that the ocean energy sector will make an “important contribution…to meeting the future energy needs of the European Union”. “The ocean energy industry welc
Supported by Vattenfall and Geosea, W3G Marine recently achieved an underwater noise reduction of 25dB in SEL (Sound Exposure Level) and 35dB in peak pressure using its patented HydroNAS™ system. The trial was conducted during the installation of a 5m diameter monopile with no energy restriction, us
The developer of the 332 MW Nordsee One project has invited tenders for environmental monitoring and reporting during the construction phase of the offshore wind farm. The contract covers underwater sound monitoring, marine mammal monitoring and acoustic deterrence in accordance with BSH Standard ‘I
Scientists from the National Institute of Aquatic Resources at Technical University of Denmark have studied long-term effects of Horns Rev 1 offshore wind farm in the North Sea on fish communities. The results were published yesterday in Inter-Research’s Marine Ecology Progress Series. The study inv
Neart na Gaoithe, the €2.1 billion offshore wind project located 30 km north of Torness will face an environmental challenge in a Scottish court this week. According to an assessment by the Scottish authorities the 450-megawatt Neart na Gaoithe along with three other wind energy project are projecte
Noise from pile driving during offshore wind turbine construction could be damaging the hearing of harbour seals around the UK, according to ecologists who attached GPS data loggers to 24 harbor seals while offshore wind turbines were being installed in 2012. Data on the seals’ locations and their d
As fishermen in East Yorkshire are preparing to go back fishing at Westermost Rough after a two-year ban due to the offshore wind farm construction, they are worried about the quantity of lobster they will find within the area. The area alone used to provide 15% of the annual lobster catch in the UK
Some residents have experienced disturbance from the piling work currently undertaken 7km offshore Herne Bay and Whitstable in Kent. The Swedish energy giant, Vattenfall, is currently installing foundations at the 49.5MW Kentish Flats Extension offshore wind farm comprising 15 turbines. Adam Ezzamel
The Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for Vesterhav Syd and Vesterhav Nord are now published, and will be out for public consultation until 30 June, 2015. Energinet.dk is preparing EIAs for all the six nearshore wind farm sites. Up until now EIAs for Bornholm, Vesterhav Syd and Vesterhav Nord
Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm has submitted an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) for the Triton Knoll Electrical System on 24 April 2015. “The application and associated documents will be reviewed by the Planning Inspectorate and we await confirmation that our application has been
Finnish wave energy developer Wello Oy is extending its testing programme at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney having signed a one year extension to their original contract. Their 1MW Penguin wave energy converter has been undergoing testing in Orkney since June 2011, and was first
HiDef Aerial Surveying Limited (HiDef) has extended an agreement with Centrica Energy for the delivery of high-resolution digital video aerial survey services for Lincs Wind Farm. HiDef has already delivered ornithological and marine mammal survey services to Centrica across its portfolio of offshor
New research by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has used GPS tags to show how Lesser Black-backed Gulls breeding at a protected site in Suffolk use areas of sea where offshore wind farms already exist, and where future developments are earmarked. Dr Chris Thaxter of the BTO said, “These resu
Immediately following Seawork International 2015 in Southampton, The Hydrographic Society UK is to stage a one-day seminar and table-top exhibition on Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Surveys, at Southampton Solent University Conference Centre on Friday 19 June. Focussing on near and offshore marine enviro
