North Channel Wind, the 400MW floating offshore wind farm proposed for installation off the coast of east Antrim, has commissioned APEM to undertake a two-year baseline study of the coastal area involved.
The digital aerial survey will be carried out over 24 consecutive months to gather density, abundance and behaviour data on seabirds and marine mammals in and around the proposed North Channel Wind site.
The ultra-high resolution data obtained will support baseline environmental characterisation of the site and environmental impact assessments for key ecological receptors.
The survey programme will commence this autumn to ensure that the first winter breeding season is captured.
SBM Offshore is developing the North Channel Wind project under a development agreement with Cork-based NMK Renewables.
NMK Renewables managing director Niamh Kenny said: “We are in a position to build energy supply resilience within a matter of a few years given a fair wind.
“As stability in energy supply to the western most regions of Europe comes into sharper focus, the emphasis on developing increasingly reliable and utilities-scale renewable energy generation at sea is now being felt more than ever.
“Given the right administrative conditions including lease agreements, successful environmental impact assessments, consent and support from local communities and political representatives, we could be in position to start supplying very significant volumes of clean energy within four years.”
Representatives from North Channel Wind will be meeting with key stakeholders including the fishing community, local interest groups and other marine users over the coming months to gauge reactions, optimise the project and to build partnerships which will benefit the wider Northern Ireland community for many years to come.
The project would create significant local supply chain opportunities including the assembly of the required steel floating devices, logistics, assembly, marine services and construction.