Baker Consultants has won a contract with Iberdrola to provide an underwater noise and marine mammal activity monitoring service during the construction phase of the Wikinger offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea.
Construction of the 70-turbine, 350MW Wikinger offshore wind farm will begin in March 2016. Once completed, the wind farm will generate enough electricity to power over 350,000 households, offsetting 600,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions every year. This is Baker Consultants’ first project situated in the Baltic Sea, but its third in German waters, where the government’s strict regulatory regime controls noise pollution in the marine environment.
Baker Consultants will monitor underwater noise emissions as well as the activity of harbour porpoises that may be present within and around the wind farm during piling operations.
In addition to the deployment of noise monitoring devices in the field during the foundation piling works, Baker Consultants will provide Iberdrola with expert consultancy services. This will include method statements, technical support to comply with the German regulatory authority’s (BSH) requirements and interpretation of the significant amount of data that will be collected.
Andrew Baker, Managing Director at Baker Consultants said: “Our unique skill-set and technical expertise in underwater noise monitoring, bioacoustics and marine mammal monitoring allow us to provide a comprehensive service to Iberdrola. We are able to generate robust results in line with underwater noise regulations and reduce costs through our use of technical innovation”.
Baker Consultants has a dedicated marine team ranging from underwater noise specialists to marine ecology experts, and from leading authorities in environmental law and public inquiries to highly trained data analysts. They provide a comprehensive service at all stages of project development, including modelling potential impacts at conception, informing Environmental Impact Assessments at planning stage and monitoring during construction and operation.
Iberdrola is a world leader in renewable energy, with over 14 GW of installed capacity to date. In constructing the Wikinger offshore wind farm, Iberdrola is investing €1.4 billion, further strengthening its leading position in the global offshore market.
Baker Consultants is an international ecological consultancy operating in the marine and terrestrial environments, and in sectors including offshore wind, dredging, ports and harbour developments. We use the latest technologies and innovative survey techniques to take projects from conception to construction.
Our specialist marine ecology and bioacoustics service is technically and commercially robust, ensuring policy and regulatory compliance, and leads the way in providing innovative approaches to monitoring noise and marine bioacoustics.
For more information please visit: www.bakerconsultants.co.uk
