Underwater noise is a big concern when installing offshore wind farms but recently, the Carbon Trust Offshore Wind Accelerator and offshore wind engineering company Fistuca announced they have completed the first test of a new quieter system for installing offshore wind farm foundations in an effort to minimise disturbance for marine life.
Typically installation of new offshore wind foundations involves using a steel ram suspended on a crane to drive the foundation into the seabed, it’s a noisy process and the activity is extremely loud and repetitive. Loud sound pulses during construction can affect some marine species up to 12.5 miles, for example, harbour porpoises are especially sensitive to the frequencies generated by pile driving and loud underwater noise is known to drive some marine mammals from large areas of their habitat, preventing their ability to communicate and hunt for fish. In contrast, the new hammer uses a water tank to provide a more energetic but quieter blow which could help minimise noise-related disruption for dolphins, whales and other marine mammals. On a positive note, some offshore wind projects are doing away with foundations altogether, for example, a new floating offshore wind has been installed 15km off the coast of Aberdeen, Scotland.
