Environmental Positive Impacts

It is known that animals tend to avoid those areas in which the wind farms are being built but usually return afterwards. The disturbance of the ecosystem occurs for a defined time and then, when the surroundings integrate the turbines into the system foundations such as jackets can benefit the environment with their presence.


  Artificial reefs.

Wind energy foundations create a multiform network of artificial bottom surface features (EWEA, n.d.). Substructures such as jackets are artificial reefs that may locally enhance the biomass of a number of sessile and motile organisms because they provide good breeding conditions with a wide selection of food and shelter from currents. Foundations such as jackets create a depth related zonation where animals are established depending on their demands for light.

Regarding the reef-effect, the complex structure of a jacket foundation is expected to generate habitats for more species (e.g. fish) than a more homogenous model of foundation like a monopile.
  Habitat enhancement.

The jacket foundation only occupies a small part of the natural bottom environment, limited just to the 4 anchorage points. Because of the design of the jacket foundations, the water can easily pass through. Its structural complexity created by the multiform construction leads to a significant addition of habitats for many marine organisms (EWEA, n.d.). Jacket substructure with grouted connection Jens Christensen. Common mussel on turbine structures at Horns Rev. Danish Offshore Wind - Key Environmental Issues.

Jacket foundations and partly tripod foundations have a complex structure with sloping surfaces which are suitable for light dependent algae. This complexity of the structure attracts mobile fauna such as fish and crustaceans due to the presence of plenty of cavities to in which to settle.

However, the factors that primarily determine the species established around the foundation are salinity, level of exposure, depth, distance to land and light availability. These are more important than the design and the structure of the foundation (Hammar et al, 2010).







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