Baker Consultants has won a contract with Iberdrola to provide an underwater noise and marine mammal activity monitoring service during the construction phase of the Wikinger offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea.
Baker Consultants will monitor underwater noise emissions as well as the activity of harbour porpoises that may be present within and around the wind farm during piling operations.
In addition to the deployment of noise monitoring devices in the field during the foundation piling works, Baker Consultants will provide Iberdrola with expert consultancy services. This will include method statements, technical support to comply with the German regulatory authority’s (BSH) requirements and interpretation of the data collected.
Andrew Baker, Managing Director at Baker Consultants, said: “Our unique skill-set and technical expertise in underwater noise monitoring, bioacoustics and marine mammal monitoring allow us to provide a comprehensive service to Iberdrola. We are able to generate robust results in line with underwater noise regulations and reduce costs through our use of technical innovation.”
Construction of the 350MW Wikinger offshore wind farm will begin in March 2016. The Wikinger will be situated off the coast of the island of Rügen, where the water depths range between 37 and 43 metres. The project covers an area of roughly 34km², within which 70 turbines and one offshore substation will be installed.
Once completed, the wind farm will generate enough electricity to power over 350,000 households, offsetting 600,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions every year. Iberdrola is investing EUR 1.4 billion in constructing the Wikinger OWF.
Baker Consultants completed similar contracts at both Borkum Riffgrund 1 and Gode Wind 1 and 2 offshore wind farms in 2014 and 2015.