HiDef are proud to announce the completion of surveys from March 2021 to February 2023 across the Ossian offshore wind farm array area, located approximately 80km southeast of the Aberdeenshire coast. Being developed by SSE Renewables Limited (SSER), Marubeni Corporation (Marubeni), and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) (the Project Partners), the site is part of the ScotWind leasing round.
The monthly aerial surveys included an 8km buffer area and took place using four planes along transects at 2.5km spacing. The project consisted of 330 hours of flight time across 4050 square kilometres.
Each aircraft is equipped with high-definition camera equipment that captures live footage which is then assessed by ornithology and marine mammal experts. So far, the team has analysed over 16 million images following the survey.
Data collected will be vital for understanding the distribution and habits of key birdlife and marine mammal species across the proposed floating wind farm’s array zone and surrounding area.
Managing Director Martin Scott said “Aerial surveys are a logistical challenge, but very rewarding. The team recorded a variety of seabirds, dolphins and a few minke whales, which are always a thrill to locate.”
More details about the project can be found at: https://www.sserenewables.com/offshore/ossian-formerly-scotwind/
