Wind farm
In Spain, there are plans for building a wind farm in the Cap de Creus and the Gulf of Roses, in the region of the Empordà, at the Northeast of the peninsula. Nevertheles, an article from BIOPAIS Project, which evaluates the environmental impact of these power plants in the Mediterranean, recommends against installing these wind turbines in that area. The Biopais project is coordinated by the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC) and the University of Girona, with the participation of the Blanes Centre for Advanced Studies (CEAB – CSIC).
Empordà is an area characterised by the wind, but also by its landscape, which attracts many tourists every year, and by its great biodiversity. In fact, the Mediterranean is home to between 4 and 18% of the world's marine species, and this area is a hotspot with the greatest diversity of turtles, mammals and seabirds. It has eight protected areas, recognised both nationally and internationally, and two fishing closures for the recovery of species.
The power plant in the Empordà
For planning the Empordà wind farm, the North Sea power plants have been taken as an example, but according to Rafael Sardá, a CEAB researcher and participant in the BIOPAIS project, "there is no point of comparison". On the one hand, the Mediterranean is home to greater biodiversity. On the other hand, the continental shelf of the North Sea is wider and shallower. For this reason, the turbines that have been installed are relatively small, fixed and far from the coast. On the contrary, In the Mediterranean, and particularly in the area of the Cap de Creus, wind turbines would have to be installed closer to the coast and would measure more than 250 metres. The wind turbines would be floating, which means that they would not be anchored directly to the ground, but would be subject to large-scale anchoring systems.
This would have several consequences, which were explained in a previous article on the same project. In the sea, marine mammals and other animals moving through the area could collide or become entangled with the wiring. Also, the sound made by the turbines could have an impact on their behaviour, as some use sound as a way to guide themselves. In addition, ICM researchers Josep Lloret, Elisa Berdalet and Josep Maria Gili, explain that destruction of the seabed could bury fixed organisms such as corals, sponges and molluscs, which would not survive.
Outside, there would be a change in the landscape. As the wind turbines are large and located close to the coast, they would be visible from the coastal towns and this could have an impact on tourism. Furthermore, says Sardá, it must be considered that a power plant not only involves having the turbines, but also industrialising the port and the adjacent territories to house substations, power transmission lines and other infrastructures.
Biodiversity in the fight against climate change
It should be noted that areas with so much biodiversity contribute to fight climate change, since to offset the carbon footprint we have two options: either to reduce or avoid the emission of greenhouse gases or to expand the base of organisms that absorb carbon. With the wind farm in Empordà, areas that fulfil this function would be lost, while at the United Nations Conferences on Biodiversity and Climate, countries agreed that solutions to the climate crisis cannot go against the protection of biodiversity.
The scientists recommend not to build offshore wind farms in the Mediterranean near protected natural areas
Although there are no studies on the balance of these two factors in the particular case of Cap de Creus and the Gulf of Roses, the scientists Lloret and Berdalet say that when talking about renewable energy it’s important to remember that fossil energy is used to build, place, maintain and even dismantle the turbines; and the estimated life of these infrastructures is between 25 and 30 years.
Wind energy, better outside protected natural areas
The latest BIOPAIS Project article suggests not to build offshore wind farms in the Mediterranean near protected natural areas, as the only studies concluding that this could benefit biodiversity are based on the North Sea. Therefore, these studies would not be applicable to the Mediterranean. This would also be valid for the pilot tests.
This project, which will last two more years, aims to contribute to better planning and facilitate decision-making so that, with scientific evidence as a basis, the energy transition can be compatible with the protection of biodiversity.
Mireia Ayats / Comunicación CSIC en Cataluña