Habitats Directive Assessments with Offshore Wind Farms in the North Sea

As part of the approval process for the planned offshore wind farms “DanTysk” and “Nördlicher Grund” OECOS examined the compatibility of these projects with the conservation objectives of the national park “Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea” and several NATURA 2000 sites in the German Bight.

In this case the potential risk of impacts on bird reserves has priority. Bird habitats extend over larger distances than habitats of other species. Therefore, the disturbance on birds by wind farms or cable routes could have impacts on populations within protected areas as well. Especially influences on the resting, foraging and moulting behaviour of protected species could interfere with these populations. As a consequence the extension of the disturbances due to the construction of wind farms and cable connections has to be examined. Subsequently the potential hazard to protected species has to be estimated.