Trump row wind farm to study bird crash risk

● Researchers sought for seabird project at 11-turbine offshore scheme

The operators of the controversial offshore wind farm opposed by Donald Trump are launching a ground-breaking study into the behaviour of seabirds in an effort to cut the risk of collisions with turbines.

The research will be carried out at the 11-turbine European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) in Aberdeen Bay from next year.

Experts will monitor the activities of northern gannets, black-legged kittiwakes and large gulls such as the great black-backed gull and herring gull as they commute between nesting and feeding sites during the breeding season.

The aim is to discover more about their habits and tactics to avoid rotor blades.

It will be the first analysis of its kind carried out on such a large scale.

The EOWDC’S 8.8-megawatt

0 The Swedish owned offshore windfarm near Aberdeen will be the site of groundbreaking research

turbines are the world’s most powerful offshore devices.

The grid -connected scheme generates enough electricity to power 80,000 households – equivalent to 70 per cent of homes in Aberdeen.

The turbines are built on state-of-the-art suction-bucket foundations that do not require drilling into the seabed and can be easily removed at the end of the wind farm’s operational life.

The three-year seabird project is part of a £3 million scientific programme at the EOWDC, supported by a panel of experts that includes RSPB Scotland, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Marine Scotland Science and Scottish Natural Heritage.

Swedish firm Vattenfall, owner of the demonstration facility, is now looking for bird experts to join the team.

Danielle Lane, the firm’s UK country manager, said: “We expect this research, combined with others, to boost understanding and improve collision-prediction models. This will go a long way to helping smooth the path for fossilfree offshore wind to make a telling contribution in the fight against climate change.”

Aly Mccluskie, senior conservation scientist with RSPB Scotland, said: “There is currently considerable uncertainty in our understanding of how birds behave in the vicinity of wind turbines, and we need to greatly improve this understanding in order to be able to accurately predict and prevent adverse impacts on bird populations.

“The UK is currently undergoing an unprecedented expansion in offshore wind farm development, and while we welcome the urgent transition to renewable energy to tackle climate change, it is crucial that this should not be at the expense of our wildlife.

“This project will help to fulfil our ambitions for offshore renewabledeploymenttohappen in harmony with nature.”