Acoustical engineering company AdBm Technologies and Dutch maritime contracting company Van Oord has successfully demonstrated the new AdBm noise mitigation system (NMS), which can be used for offshore wind applications.
The NMS reduces underwater noise resulting from offshore pile driving wind turbine foundations. This means less disturbance for marine mammals near the construction site. The test results are favourable.
For this reason, Van Oord will be able to use the NMS in future wind farms, amongst others during the construction of the Borssele wind farm.
The NMS uses special acoustic resonators designed and produced by AdBm Technologies which reduce the noise from pile driving. As a result of this technology, specific frequencies can be targeted which produce the most noise. This makes the NMS stand out from existing systems. Furthermore, waves and currents have little or no effect on the NMS thanks to its open, but robust design.
The NMS deployment system was designed and built at Van Oord. It works as it were window blinds that can be put up and down easily. The development of this innovative system and the related trials were funded through a Renewable Energy Grant from RVO and supported by TKI Wind op Zee.
The NMS has been tested extensively. The result showed that the NMS, in combination with a Big Bubble Curtain (BBC), meets the Dutch and Belgian standards for noise emissions at sea. Van Oord is therefore taking another important step in protecting marine life during the construction of offshore wind farms. The developers see possibilities to further optimise the system in the future.
In view of the favourable test results, Van Oord will be commissioning the NMS in the short term. Borssele wind farm will have that distinction. This offshore wind farm lies approximately 20 kilometres of the coast of Walcheren in the Province of Zeeland.
The NMS will be used during the construction of plots 3, 4 and 5. These plots will provide approximately 850,000 households with sustainable energy after commissioning.
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