Natural Power has been appointed by First Flight Wind Ltd, the developers of Northern Ireland’s first offshore wind farm, to provide bird and marine mammal advisory and survey works over the Wind Resource Zone off the Co. Down coast of Northern Ireland.
First Flight Wind, a consortium comprising of B9 Energy, DONG Energy and Renewable Energy Systems Ltd (RES), was awarded a Wind Resource Zone of approximately 438km² off the Coast of County Down, Northern Ireland, by The Crown Estate in Autumn 2012. Starting in July 2013, Natural Power’s experienced Ecology team commissioned a local Kilkeel vessel, to carry out the surveys, which are expected to last until late 2014. The boat-based surveys will see ornithologists and marine mammal observers undertaking surveys each month to collect data suitable for analysis and impact assessment.