The UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has introduced new measures to reduce underwater noise during offshore wind project construction.
These initiatives, part of the government’s Plan for Change, aim to minimize sea noise to expedite offshore wind development, especially in sensitive regions.
The government collaborates with The Crown Estate’s Offshore Wind Evidence and Change program, along with explosives and offshore wind industry stakeholders, to test and develop quieter bomb clearance technologies and pilot noise limits during wind farm construction.
There are over 300,000 unexploded ordnances from the World Wars on the UK seabed, which must be cleared for offshore wind farm construction.
Operators should primarily use low-noise disposal methods, with high-order detonations allowed only in exceptional situations, according to Defra.
Developers must demonstrate efforts to reduce underwater noise during turbine installation, followed by public consultation on future noise limits, Defra stated.
“As we expand offshore wind to establish Britain as a clean energy leader, we must protect our marine life. These measures enable necessary offshore wind development while protecting underwater ecosystems,” said Marine Minister Emma Hardy.
Defra noted these measures would protect vulnerable marine species and valuable fish stocks from loud explosions and pile driving, preventing construction delays due to noise threshold breaches.
“As UK seas get busier, limiting unnecessary underwater noise pollution is vital. The Wildlife Trusts have long worked with the government and industry to reduce this pollution’s impact on marine life,” said Christina Platt, a marine planning officer at The Wildlife Trusts.
“We welcome Defra’s new policy, seeing it as crucial given the increasing pressures on marine wildlife.”
In September 2024, Netherlands-based IQIP implemented a new piling technique that allows noise-compliant installation of large monopiles. The method uses a large water tank as a drop weight, which, when released, dampens the impact force on the pile.
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