Renewable Energy
Reliable access to affordable renewable energy is a precondition for the development of societies and the blue economy. Growing demand for energy lies at the heart of the climate change challenges many countries are facing. Innovative solutions and corrective actions are required to ensure that demand is met without jeopardising the natural resource base. NIRAS offers advice in the areas of design, planning, management of large-scale projects within renewable energy. We work with clients and partners to develop renewable energy support schemes, smart grids and storage technologies and portfolio of energy efficiency services. NIRAS also has extensive experience of strategic and project-specific environmental impact assessment studies for offshore renewables, including surveying and monitoring in marine and coastal environments, as well as data analysis and visualisation.
Highlighted Projects
Copenhagen Municipality is transitioning to climate-neutral energy production. HOFOR plans to establish two offshore wind farms in Øresund, Aflandshage, and Nordre Flint, with a combined capacity of 410 MW. Aflandshage will be east of Stevns, and Nordre Flint between Copenhagen and Malmö. HOFOR is conducting an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for these projects.
NIRAS prepared the EIA considering impacts on marine flora, fauna, and the seabed. The wind farms comply with Natura 2000 areas and EU legislation. NIRAS also created a background report on coastal morphology, sediment spill, and hydraulics, using numerical models to assess changes in current and wave conditions. Additionally, NIRAS modelled sediment spread and conducted field investigations to determine sediment types. The models estimate environmental impacts from sediment disposal and dredging. The project aligns with SDG 14 and assesses impacts during construction, operation, and dismantling phases.
OX2 Åland plan to establish the wind farm, Noatun North, north of the Åland archipelago. NIRAS was appointed by AquaBiota, on behalf of OX2 Åland to undertake several environmental surveys within the project area. Noatun North Offshore Wind Farm is an early phase large-scale offshore wind farm project located north of Norra Åland within Finland’s border. The wind farm is expected to have approximately 360 wind turbines and an estimated annual capacity of approximately 20 TWh.
NIRAS has undertaken thorough technical surveys on the benthic faunal and floral ecology and has provided environmental characterisation of the seabed and the water column. Additionally, the surveys acquired data on local fisheries as well as focused and opportunistic sighting information relating to seabirds and marine mammals.
To obtain further knowledge of the survey area, NIRAS developed a survey programme, based on a grid of 100 stations, to provide representative coverage of the survey area and sampling of all depth ranges. The sample quantities included conductivity, temperature and depth measurements to provide hydrographic characteristics in and around the proposed wind farm area. Additionally, eDNA samples for the identification of vertebrates to supplement fish sampling and acoustic monitoring, gill nets to sample fish, and F-Pods to acoustically monitor marine mammals. For sediments and infauna samples, Van Veen grab stations were used to supplement drop-down video camera stations to provide information from areas where grab sampling failed due to difficult ground conditions and to survey for important/sensitive habitats such as a biogenic reef in a non-destructive manner.
Powered by 72 14 MW turbines, Thor is Denmark’s largest offshore wind project. NIRAS experts are conducting the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the 1,000 MW Thor Offshore Wind Farm, which will provide renewable energy to over one million homes. The wind farm near Thorsminde, located 22 km off the west coast of Jutland, includes wind turbines, an offshore substation, and submarine cables.
Two export cables will land north of Nissum Fjord, an area with dynamic beach profiles due to strong currents and sediment transport. Erosion has been managed by beach nourishment since 1983. Despite shipwrecks and bunkers, the site has breakwaters, a dune with slope protection, and old groins.
NIRAS analysed the seabed and shoreline morphology for the cable landfall, including shoreline evolution from 1954 to 2021 and future forecasts. Seabed changes could expose the cable over time, so this was considered in planning. Flood risk assessment was also included to determine its risks during initial phases and implementation.
NIRAS has provided support on the two projects with a combined capacity of 600 MW since their initiation in 2016, from the development to the execution phase. Key works included preparation for government selection and grid allocation, permits and consenting support, general environmental consultancy, O&M harbour layout and conceptual 3D modelling, O&M harbour feasibility and accessibility study, support in the management of foundation design, foundation fabrication management, foundation coating management and supervision, support for tender and contracts for the onshore substation package, Environmental and Social Impact Assessment in alignment with IFC performance standards, and technical environmental consultancy, including ornithology, marine mammals, fisheries, underwater noise modelling, and electromagnetic fields from offshore cables.
More information available our new Offshore wind brochure
