The Netherlands has taken a significant step towards bird protection by throttling wind turbines on the North Sea. The move was initiated last weekend in offshore wind farms Borssele and Egmond aan Zee, where wind turbines were stopped for four hours. According to the Dutch government, this is the first time this has ever happened and was carried out to avoid endangering migratory birds.
From autumn 2023, wind farms could be throttled more frequently to a maximum of two revolutions per minute, based on a prediction model presented by a doctoral student at the University of Amsterdam in late 2022. The migratory bird experts use weather data and data from bird radars in the North Sea to predict the probability of a major migration up to two days in advance. This lead time is essential for the grid operator Tennet to stabilize the high-voltage grid, and for wind farm operators to switch off the turbines.
Energy Minister Rob Jetten has explained that the government wants to minimize the impact of wind farms on nature. He has said, “We are doing this with this measure, among other things.” Tim van Oijen from Vogelbescherming Nederland has emphasized that this is critical with the growing number of wind turbines. He added, “In spring and autumn, millions of birds migrate across the North Sea on a few nights.”
Saturday’s action was part of a pilot phase to test the prediction and throttling system’s effectiveness. The project aims to run continuously from this autumn and to be continually improved, including wind farms that are still being built.
