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Resource Documents: U.K. (115 items)
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Environmental controls on the detectability of hydrodynamic changes induced by offshore wind farm structures
Author: De Dominicis, Michela; et al.
Abstract: A combination of model simulations and field observations collected in 2023 and 2024 near Seagreen, Scotland’s largest Offshore Wind Farm (OWF), is used to assess when, where and by how much (physical) changes induced by OWFs structures become detectable and environmentally relevant. Seagreen has the deepest (> 55 m) fixed bottom foundations of any OWF in the world (in 2026), and in offshore deep (> 50 m) waters there is the potential for OWFs structures to perturb natural ocean mixing and modify seasonal . . .
More »Impact of Wind Farms on Moorland Birds in the UK
Author: Brewin, Jennifer
KEY TAKEAWAY: Moorland turbines displace birds and harm breeding success. Global lessons In general, there are several ways in which birds can be affected by wind farms. These include: direct impacts through collision with the rotor blades. indirect impacts through habitat loss, disturbance displacement, or barrier effects. Most papers agree that wind farms can have negative effects on bird species, with different risks to different groups – for example, high-flying, larger, less manoeuvrable species are at greater risk of collision . . .
More »Cumulative hydrodynamic impacts of offshore wind farms on North Sea currents and surface temperatures
Author: Christiansen, Nils; Daewel, Ute; and Schrum, Corinna
Abstract. Offshore wind farms are increasingly shaping coastal ocean dynamics, yet their cumulative physical impacts remain poorly quantified. Using decade-long, high-resolution simulations of the North Sea, we show that large-scale offshore wind development can reduce current velocities by up to 20% and reshape local tidal energy distributions. Wind and tidal wakes exert distinct but interacting influences on ocean physics: wind speed anomalies drive far-field hydrodynamic impacts, while structure-induced drag intensifies local turbulence and mixing. Turbine spacing emerges as a key . . .
More »Impacts of accelerating deployment of offshore windfarms on near-surface climate
Author: Akhtar, Naveed; Geyer, Beate; and Schrum, Corinna
Abstract: The European Union has set the ambitious goal of becoming climate neutral by 2050, which has stimulated renewable energy production and accelerated the deployment of offshore wind energy in the North Sea. Here, a high-resolution regional climate model was used to investigate the impact on the sea surface climate of large-scale offshore wind farms that are proposed for the North Sea. The results show a significant reduction in the air-sea heat fluxes and a local, annual mean net cooling . . .
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