No Birds Collided with Floating Wind Turbine Offshore Norway During Two-Year Monitoring Campaign

October 24, 2024, by Adnan Memija

Following over two years of ongoing monitoring, no bird collisions with the TetraSpar floating offshore wind turbine have been reported at the Marine Energy Test Centre (METCentre) in Norway.

Since January 2022, the Norwegian company Spoor has mapped bird activity at the floating offshore wind turbine at METCentre, located about ten kilometres off the coast of Karmøy.

The extensive bird mapping is the first of its kind in Norway. The data collected provides a picture of which species pass by the turbines and how they move.

The cameras have captured over 21,000 bird passages since the monitoring began. The monitoring and analyses were conducted in collaboration with the Biodiversity Department at Multiconsult.

In October 2023, an adjustment was made to the equipment to better detect potential collisions, and, even after this adjustment, not a single collision has been registered, according to the Norwegian Offshore Wind.

“These are very positive results. Analyses of birds and their movement patterns are important for the industry’s continued focus on offshore wind in Norway. The knowledge we have gained through this project will be valuable for understanding the coexistence between birds and wind turbines”, said Arvid Nesse, head of METCentre and Norwegian Offshore Wind.

“The further development will focus on improving resolution for increased detection, better automated species identification, and tracking behavioral changes in flight activity.”

Spoor has released a report on the monitoring efforts, saying that collisions between birds and offshore wind turbines rarely occur.

“Data collected at METCentre, under the mandate of the The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE), has provided valuable insight into how birds interact with floating offshore wind turbines. METCentre also proves to be an ideal place for the development of new wind technology, as it gives us a unique opportunity to verify and improve our AI solutions in real-world conditions”, said Spoor’s CEO, Ask Helseth.

METCentre has been granted a permit to install a total of seven different floating technologies for renewable energy production. The test center is involved in several research projects on nature, the environment, marine life, and bird research.

Recently, the centre signed contracts with three companies to test new technology aimed at reducing the costs of floating offshore wind by demonstrating floaters equipped with 15+ MW turbines.