Skip to content

Environment Studies

Environmental studies

The expansion of offshore wind energy is subject to strict environmental regulations and the offshore wind farm operators invest large sums in preventive measures to protect the marine environment. In order to be able to assess the effects of offshore wind farms on flora and fauna as precisely as possible and, if necessary, to adjust them, environmental studies are carried out regularly.

How do auks react to offshore wind farms? 

26 November 2024
Offshore wind energy is essential to achieve the 2045 climate targets, but expansion requires space. Therefore, the BWO, together with the BDEW, commissioned the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems (IWES) to investigate the offshore area potential in the German Exclusive Economic Zone (AWZ).
read more

Revised area potential study by Fraunhofer IWES

19 December 2022
Offshore wind energy is essential to achieve the 2045 climate targets, but expansion requires space. Therefore, the BWO, together with the BDEW, commissioned the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems (IWES) to investigate the offshore area potential in the German Exclusive Economic Zone (AWZ).
read more

Loons population stable despite expansion of offshore wind farms

March 11, 2020
A study on behalf of the Federal Association of Wind Farm Operators Offshore eV (BWO) for a network of funding partners shows that the progressive expansion of wind power at sea has no negative impact on the population of loons in the German Bight. The possible effects of offshore wind farms on the population and the habitat of the two species of loons, red-throated and black-throated divers were examined.
read more

Harbor porpoises not affected by offshore work

June 26, 2019
A study by BioConsult SH, IBL Umweltplanung and the Institute for Applied Ecosystem Research (IFaOe) examined the effects of pile driving during the construction of offshore wind farms and the resulting noise development on harbor porpoises in the German North Sea.
read more

Survey published: Porpoises keep coming back

7 October 2016
For the first time, a study examines the behavior of porpoises when driving piles for offshore wind farms in the North Sea. The study shows that despite the constant increase in foundation work, the harbor porpoise population remains constant.
read more