Project off Yorkshire coast aims to reduce wind farm installation noise to help marine life

RWE said the move represents a “significant step” in protecting marine life from underwater noise generated during piling activities – which involves driving poles into the ground to give foundations to wind turbines.

Already adopted across Europe, the bubble curtain aims to reduce the propagation of underwater noise by creating a barrier of rising bubbles around the turbine installation site.

Matthew Swanwick, RWE Sofia project director said, “By introducing the use of a bubble curtain on a trial basis, we are strengthening our commitment to environmental responsibility.

“Projects like this can ensure offshore wind energy can be developed sustainably, with minimal impact on marine life, taking cognisance of working with a Special Area of Conservation.”

The project comes after the Government issued new guidance in January on reducing underwater noise from offshore wind construction.

Within the guidance, the Government said marine mammals were facing a “range of pressures”, with noise generated from human activities serving as a key concern.

The Government also said there was a “growing recognition” that noise is impacting upon a wide range of other species, including fish and invertebrates.

The guidance warned that human-made noise can interfere with the ability of marine animals to hear natural sounds which are used for navigation, communication, finding mates and avoiding predators.

As well as pile driving for windfarms, the activities include shipping, seismic surveys and the detonation of unexploded ordnance from the seabeds.

RWE said that by dampening sound waves, the bubble curtain technology mitigates disturbances to marine species such as harbour porpoises, dolphins, and whales, which rely on ultrasound for orientation.

The system works by placing a perforated hose on the seabed around the turbine installation site, forming a 180m-wide ring.

Compressed air is pumped through the hose, generating a continuous stream of bubbles that rise to the surface.

This steam of bubbles is designed to effectively break up and slow down the sound waves, significantly reducing noise levels during piling operations.

The Sofia project is situated within the Southern North Sea Special Area of Conservation, a protected zone for harbour porpoises, where noise disturbance regulations are strictly monitored.

The Sofia Offshore Wind Farm, currently under construction on Dogger Bank, will comprise 100 Siemens Gamesa 14 megawatt offshore wind turbines.

Upon its commissioning, which is scheduled for in 2026, the Sofia project will have a capacity of 1.4 gigawatts, enough to power the equivalent of 1.2 million typical UK homes.

The site is also using recyclable materials, with 50 per cent of Sofia’s 100 turbines to be equipped with recyclable blades. RWE said this was the highest proportion ever implemented on a major wind farm.

The UK currently has 30.7 GW of offshore wind either installed or committed, with a further 7.2 GW of capacity consented.

The Government has set a target of delivering 43 to 50 GW of wind power by 2030 to achieve its wider targets on clean energy production.

In February, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero announced a number of reforms to help “pave the way” for clean power by 2030, including the relaxation of eligibility criteria on planning consent for fixed-bottom offshore wind, and changes to the way budgets for offshore wind are set and published.

Speaking at the time, Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, said: ”Last year, we celebrated delivering the most successful auction round in history – now we want to go even further.

"Our bold new reforms will give developers the certainty they need to build clean energy in the UK, supporting our mission to become a clean energy superpower.”