In and around the Eemshaven, an industrial port in the northeast corner of The Netherlands and bordering the International Wadden Sea area, several wind farms have been established or scaled up in recent years. Further expansion is on the horizon. The Eemshaven area is located in the windy coastal zone. At the same time it is situated in a region where birds concentrate during migration. How can this important function for migratory birds be taken into account in the development of wind energy? A&W conducts research into the risk of collision victims – birds and bats – and the factors that influence this, such as the wind direction, weather conditions, the location of turbines and the environmental design. Together with University of Amsterdam and the Bureau Waardenburg consultancy, we are investigating whether temporary stoppages of wind turbines can mitigate the risk of collision in the Eemshaven during periods of intensive migration on turbine height.
A large part of the bird migration takes place at night, also in the Eemshaven.
