Several Dutch offshore wind turbines halted to protect migrating birds

Several Dutch offshore wind farms, including Borssele 1 & 2, Borssele 3 & 4, Hollandse Kust Zuid, and Hollandse Kust Noord, have been temporarily shut down to protect migrating birds, AD reports.

The shutdowns are part of the Start/Stop project, launched several years ago to reduce harm to wildlife caused by the expansion of offshore wind energy. The project relies on a predictive model that monitors bird migration patterns. Wind farm operators receive alerts two days in advance, giving them time to stop turbines safely.

Vattenfall, one of the operators, confirmed it participates “with pleasure” in the shutdowns. The company also contributes to research on bird migration over the North Sea using cameras. A spokesperson noted that temporarily stopping turbines results in some loss of electricity production.

The two-day notice period is reportedly critical to maintaining stability on the power grid. It allows other electricity producers, such as gas-fired plants, to increase output and compensate for the energy temporarily lost from the halted wind turbines.