Germany: Offshore Wind Turbines Not Harmful for Shipping

Offshore wind farms under construction are not harmful to the shipping traffic, according to the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) in Hamburg.

The BSH highlighted the harmlessness of these facilities on Monday, thus disagreeing with the earlier opinion of the agency’s spokesman.

“If an unfinished construction appears anywhere in the ocean, it has an associated higher risk potential,” the head of the BSH’s unit for sea organization, Christian Dahlke told Welt am Sonntag newspapers.

Warning lights, usually temporarily installed are often, for many weeks, the only indication of construction delays.

The collision of a supply vessel in the German Bight that occurred in February is not inconsistent with the safety of shipping, BSH’s spokeswoman said. In the accident in the construction area of the “Bard Offshore 1” wind farm, the vessel was exclusively controlled by an autopilot, while the six-member crew was staying below deck. The nose of the twin-hulled vessel had been badly damaged in the collision with the foundation of a wind turbine.

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Offshore WIND Staff, April 2, 2013; Image: BARD