The UK's Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) is planning a pilot project to test whether painting turbine blades black can help reduce bird collisions with wind turbines. The pilot is part of ongoing efforts to balance nature recovery with the UK's transition to a clean energy economy.
A Defra spokesperson told reNEWS.biz, “The UK is home to many globally significant populations of seabirds. This pilot aims to test whether turbine blade painting will reduce bird collisions—helping ensure nature recovery goes hand-in-hand with making Britain a clean energy superpower.”
While the pilot has yet to begin, Defra has not disclosed further details about its implementation. This initiative follows a previous onshore study conducted in Norway, which found that painting turbine blades black led to a reduction in bird collision incidents.
