Updating our knowledge and keeping abreast of global trends are key aspects of reliable and effective work in environmental consulting. Therefore, we are very pleased to have had the opportunity to participate in the international conference ‘7th Conference on Wind Energy and Wildlife Impacts’ in Croatia from 18-22 September 2023.

During these five knowledge-filled days, we had the opportunity to learn about new experiences and lessons learned from research on the impact of wind farms on both onshore and offshore environments. Participation in the conference also allowed us to update our knowledge on the ever-evolving methodologies of environmental research, as well as to make contact with companies that specialise in providing modern solutions to protect the environment. Invaluable from our perspective was also the opportunity to follow panel discussions with representatives of lenders, whose presence resulted in numerous discussions on standards and requirements for wind investments at the financing stage.

Key threads raised for us during the conference were:

  • recommendations developed by the banks for monitoring bird and bat mortality on onshore wind farms,
  • modelling the risk of collisions of birds with wind turbines,
  • implementation at an early stage of wind farm development of the requirements of financial institutions, which allows for more efficient financing processes at later stages,
  • effectiveness of measures to minimise bird mortality in the form of automatic bird detection systems and turbine shutdowns,
  • the effectiveness and optimal parameters of turbine shutdowns as a means of minimising bat mortality and the possibility to reduce the duration of turbine shutdowns without reducing their effectiveness,
  • the duration of environmental monitoring including monitoring of bird and bat mortality during the operational phase,
  • the relevance of an approach whereby negative impacts on biodiversity are offset by biodiversity gains, which may be one of the key drivers of funding for wind farms,
  • the results of monitoring studies of marine mammals at the stage of construction and operation of offshore wind farms, which made it possible, i.a., to observe and assess the occurrence of displacement and attraction behaviour, which is important in the context of selecting minimising measures for this group of animals.

The themes discussed at this year’s CWW conference allowed us to update our knowledge on topics that have been bothering specialists for years but also initiated discussions on issues that had not been addressed before. As Ambiens, we always carry out projects using the most up-to-date knowledge in order to provide high-quality environmental consulting in line with current trends and recommendations and the expectations of financial institutions.

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