North
Hoyle Offshore Wind Farm
Environmental Impact Assessment and Ongoing Monitoring
This
30 turbine installation off the coast of North Wales is the UK’s first
major offshore wind farm. CMACS has been involved from the early
stages of the project, contributing to benthic ecology and other parts of
the EIA, such as the assessments for fish, marine mammals and intertidal ecology.
Project
Details:
Project Type: Environmental Impact Assessment and Ongoing Monitoring
Client: Innogy plc/National Wind Power Ltd
Description: CMACS has been involved throughout the development
of this 30 turbine offshore wind farm, the first in the UK to reach construction
phase. We are now responsible for a range of post construction monitoring
activities.
Report Publication
Prior
to construction, CMACS collected baseline data on the ecology of the area
of the proposed development using a combination of grab sampling and beam
trawls. Our invertebrate biologists back in the laboratory produced detailed
reports of the benthic communities present, the factors affecting their distribution
and the significance of the proposed wind farm. We now monitor these same
communities after construction to ensure that there has been no adverse impact.
CMACS
has also contributed to sections of the EIA on marine mammals, fish
and suspended sediments. We have also carried out a series of small scale studies
to monitor specific operations, such as the installation of power cables to
shore and the construction of a meteorological mast at the site.
