Bird & Marine Mammal survey campaign complete
Source Galileo are pleased to confirm the successful completion of a comprehensive 24-month Bird & Marine Mammal survey campaign for the Malin Head Offshore Wind Farm project.
The data collected across the survey period by our environmental consultant APEM Group has provided invaluable information relating to the distribution and behaviours of key bird and marine mammal species within the marine area proposed for the Malin Head Offshore Wind Farm.
The completion of this critical path activity is a crucial milestone in the development of the proposed Malin Head Offshore Wind Farm , bringing us one step closer to delivering a substantial source of clean, renewable energy, which can assist in meeting the Irish government’s target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving net-zero emissions no later than 2050, as set out in the Climate Action Plan.
Subject to favourable marine spatial designations being approved by the Irish government for the proposed site area, this data will be used to assess the potential impacts offshore infrastructure might have on bird and marine mammals and will assist in ensuring effective environmental mitigations can be put in place, where required.
The information now available following APEM’s data analysis will be invaluable in informing development proposals for the project and will enable robust environmental assessments associated with these proposals to be completed. The outputs of those assessments will ultimately feed into the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment report and Natura Impact Statement.
"This significant milestone underscores our commitment to sustainable development. The high-resolution data gathered will enable us to identify and better understand bird and marine mammal populations in the area, allowing us to plan any necessary mitigations effectively.”
The first aerial survey was completed in September 2021, with the monthly survey campaign concluding in December 2023. Surveys were undertaken using APEM’s high-resolution camera system to capture digital still imagery of birds and marine mammals within the proposed offshore wind farm site and a 10km buffer. The total survey area for Malin Head was 1,249 sq km.
Subject to undertaking the necessary further environmental and technical assessments and surveys, the site has the potential to facilitate a project scale of c.1,000MW using fixed-bottom foundation technology.
“We have been pleased to support Source Galileo with the collection of robust bird and marine mammal data through the use of our leading digital aerial surveys. This will give the team significant insight into the potential impacts on marine wildlife and help reduce risk as they prepare the EIA."