Researchers at Oxford Brookes University have received a share of €3m to study the socio-economic impacts of offshore wind farms on the human environment.
The study is one of four projects announced as part of Vattenfall’s research programme linked to the 92.4MW Aberdeen Bay offshore wind demonstration project.
The social-economic effects of Aberdeen bay will be analysed from the construction stage through to the project becoming fully operational.
The aim is to help better understand how offshore wind developments can be maximised to benefit the region and local communities, the university said.
Oxford Brookes University senior lecturer in the school of the built environment Bridget Durning said: “Our project aims to explore the methods used to predict the likely socio-economic impacts of offshore wind farms, before permission is given for schemes to go ahead.
“We will also be assessing how valid these prediction methods are and enhance the current understanding of the potential social and wellbeing advantages on communities near to (offshore wind farms).”
The project started in June and will run until October 2019.
Image: reNEWS
Boffins flush for offshore impacts
Oxford Brookes University to study socio-economic effects of projects
By EBS