News item | 13-12-2023 | 2:00 PM
In order to offer migratory birds as safe passage as possible, wind farm owners will now reduce the speed of the wind turbines during a peak migration of migratory birds. This autumn, the turbines of the wind farms near Borssele were shut down for three nights after a large bird migration was predicted across the North Sea. The measure was officially introduced and applied for the first time this autumn, after a successful test in the spring.
Every spring and autumn millions of birds migrate across the sea. To ensure that as few birds as possible come into contact with the rotating blades of the turbines, the government has developed the so-called ‘start/stop procedure’. Based on a bird migration prediction model from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and confirmation from a group of bird experts, the Minister for Climate and Energy is asking for offshore wind farms to be shut down. This concerns the wind farms that fall under the site decisions of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, with the exception of the wind farms north of the Wadden Islands (the prediction model is not yet suitable for that region). There are approximately two days between the forecast and the wind turbines being shut down. This gives grid operator TenneT time to guarantee the stability of the high-voltage grid. This time is also used to inform all those involved and to carefully initiate the shutdown of the turbines. The speed of the turbines will be reduced to a maximum of two rotations per minute during the predicted nighttime peak migration.
This autumn, major bird migration was predicted on October 8, 16 and 31. On those occasions, the minister issued an advice to shut down. These advices were followed by wind farm owners Ørsted, Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), Blauwwind and Two Towers for the Borssele wind farms. The Hollandse Kust Zuid and Noord wind farms will follow the advice when the wind farms are fully operational. An initial analysis of the bird radar data showed that there was a peak in bird migration at two of the three predicted times.
Minister Jetten for Climate and Energy: “We want to put nature and biodiversity at the center of offshore wind farms. I am very happy that the wind farms are taking their responsibility and following the advice for shutting down the turbines. We hope to set an international example, with other countries around the North Sea following suit.”
Rijkswaterstaat developed the procedure on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate with, among others, the wind farm owners, grid operator TenneT, the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, Bird Protection Netherlands and the North Sea Foundation. This procedure is one of the measures that the government is taking to develop offshore wind energy in the coming decades with an eye for nature and animals in and around the North Sea. The aim is that in the future all Dutch offshore wind farms will participate in this procedure. For more information about the start/stop procedure, see: Noordzeeloket.nl.