GICON Launches Digital Aerial Imagery System for OWFs

For the first time in Germany, GICON Group’s Institute of Applied Ecology (IfAÖ) is offering a digital airborne surveillance system to operators of offshore wind farms.

The IfAÖ presented its Digital Aerial Imagery System by IfAÖ (DAISI) to interested customers on 6th March at Rostock-Laage Airport.

With the help of a high-resolution dual camera installed in a light aircraft, DAISI can automatically capture birds and marine mammals on the sea surface. Since the beginning of 2014, as part of environmental impact assessments in the construction of offshore wind farms, this procedure must be digitalized and can no longer be done manually.

So far, up to three observers were needed on board to handle this work, and now it is being done with a high-quality recording and evaluation system.

Bird and mammal observations are categorized and calculated by special software.

To document all the changes, an area needs to be overflown ten times a year for seven years ‒ before approval, during the construction phase and during the operational phase.

As of March 2014, the IfAÖ will be able to serve all offshore projects in the German Baltic and North Seas from Rostock/Wismar. The plan is to deploy the second system at the German North Sea coast in the course of this year.

Offshore WIND Staff, March 12, 2014; Image: GICON