OSPAR Database on Offshore Wind-farms - 2014

Data are available on ODIMS via: https://odims.ospar.org/documents/1654

The use of any renewable energy source makes a significant contribution towards climate protection and towards placing our energy supply on a sustainable ecological footing, thereby helping to conserve the natural balance. Nevertheless, the utilisation of renewable sources of energy can also have an adverse impact on the environment and our natural resources. Since 2001, OSPAR and its Biodiversity Committee (BDC) have been noting that the offshore wind energy sector has been rapidly expanding in the OSPAR maritime area.

In order to better understand the situation and to help authorities to manage potential conflicting objectives and the expanding use of these offshore installations in an ecologically sustainable way, OSPAR agreed on a programme of work on the environmental impact of offshore wind-farms.

As part of this programme of work on wind-farms, OSPAR has produced the OSPAR Database on Offshore Wind-farms, which constitutes an inventory of all planned (under application), authorised, refused, operational, out of service and decommissioned wind-farms installations under the jurisdiction of the OSPAR Contracting Parties.