A new study commissioned by the Federal Association of Offshore Wind Energy (BWO) has found that migratory birds “almost completely avoid” offshore wind turbines, the industry group said on Tuesday.
The research analysed more than four million bird movements over 18 months at a coastal wind farm in northern Germany. BWO said the findings challenge the need for broad turbine shutdowns during periods of heavy migration and offer “a solid basis for a nature-compatible expansion of offshore wind energy.”
According to the association, the study showed that more than 99.8% of day- and night-migrating birds avoided the turbines, and researchers found no link between migration intensity and collision rates.
The investigation used a combination of radar and AI-based stereo cameras, which BWO described as a methodological breakthrough for recording flight movements at rotor height. “The new study shows that migratory birds avoid wind turbines,” BWO managing director Stefan Thimm said. “This confirms that the nature-compatible expansion of offshore wind energy works in harmony with these birds and not against them. With this research we want to make the discussion more objective, improve the data basis and make decisions based on facts.”
Dr. Jorg Welcker, head of research and development at BioConsult SH GmbH & Co. KG, said the technology allowed precise measurement of avoidance behaviour. “AI-controlled stereo cameras determined flight activity in the rotor area, while a specialised bird radar recorded the migration activity,” he said. “By comparing both data sets we were able to precisely calculate avoidance rates. In addition, we specifically searched for collision victims.”
The study was conducted by BioConsult SH and funded by a consortium of offshore wind developers including DanTysk Sandbank, EnBW AG, Iberdrola, Ørsted, RWE, Skyborn Renewables, Vattenfall and WindMW GmbH. According to BWO, the research provides new evidence to support environmentally compatible offshore wind expansion in Germany.
