APEM to monitor birds, marine mammals at Gwynt y Mor wind park

Environmental consultancy APEM Ltd said yesterday it will conduct post-construction aerial surveys to monitor birds and marine mammals at the 576-MW Gwynt y Mor offshore wind farm in the UK.

The company has been awarded an initial 12-month contract, with a potential extension for another two years.

"Gwynt Y Mor Offshore Wind Farm are looking forward to working with APEM again, after successful delivery of pre-construction and construction ornithological surveys," said Paul Carter, offshore consents manager at RWE Innogy.

Located off the North Wales coast, the wind plant consists of 160 Siemens 3.6-MW turbines and is currently the world's second largest offshore wind farm. It is owned by RWE Innogy with 50%, Munich's municipal utilities company, the UK Green Investment Bank and Siemens. The wind farm was officially opened in June last year.

Surveys under APEM's new contract started this month. The company's ornithologists will use images taken with high-resolution digital cameras fitted to the company's specialist survey aircraft to determine the numbers, distribution, species and direction of birds and marine mammals, as well as the heights that any birds are flying at.

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