Lloyd’s Register to Keep an Ear to the Ground at Horns Rev 3

Danish transmission system operator Energinet.dk will be working with Lloyd’s Register (LR) on measuring underwater sound propagation for the Horns Rev 3 wind farm substation development.

Energinet.dk will take on installation of the substation for guiding the electricity into the onshore grid. The substation, scheduled for installation later in 2016, is to be positioned on a four-legged jacket that will be put in place by pile driving.

This activity generates noise levels that potentially could have a negative impact on marine life. Experts from LR’s integrity, compliance and specialist risk consulting services group will undertake a pre-construction investigation and determine the site specific underwater sound propagation for the substation.

The collaboration is expected to provide an approach on how to control noise transmission at sea, thus helping to safeguard marine life as well as ensure a sustainable project delivery.

“Whilst offshore wind power is indeed an appealing technology for renewable energy, it is also essential that construction and operation of these wind farms respect the fragile marine environment. This is where we can apply our unique expertise in underwater noise,” Per Trøjgård Andersen, Technical Lead at LR’s Consulting business, said.

LR’s Consulting business will dispatch acousticians to determine the site specific sound propagation. The team will deploy an airgun to trace an acoustic signal in proximity of the wind farm to determine the sound propagation.

Energinet.dk can then integrate the captured data in the project execution, making sure that the noise impacting on the nearby marine environment is considered and that mitigation measures are put in place should this be needed.

The investigation will adhere to the guidelines recently implemented by the Danish Energy Agency for Horns Rev 3 addressing the underwater noise impact from construction of offshore wind farms.

The 400 MW Horns Rev 3 wind farm off the west coast of Denmark is expected to generate green power for some 450,000 households when fully operational. The first turbines at Horns Rev 3 are expected to be connected in 2017.