Offshore windfarms

Mainly in regard to their adoption in Australia

Contents of this page

 
The world must change with urgency from fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas to renewable energy like wind and solar if the developing climate change disaster is to be limited. If the change to renewables is not made, and made quickly, our children and grandchildren and many generations more will inherit a greatly impoverished world.

There is a huge amount of information on offshore wind farms on the Internet. Much of it accurate and valuable, some of it inaccurate and misleading, even intentionally so. This page, like my other pages on wind power, aims to honestly provide the basic facts and point people toward the more credible and reliable sources of information.

All wind farms, all large industrial installations, have impacts, environmental and social. This page attempts to give unbiased information on the pros and cons of offshore wind farms.

This page was started 2023/09/29, last edited 2024/07/30
Contact: David K. Clarke – ©

Introduction

A part of Wattle Point Wind Farm on SA's Yorke Peninsula; an onshore wind farm
Wattle Point wind farm
Wattle Point Wind Farm, Photo token 2016/06/19


 
A part of one of Mid-North SA's wind farms under construction
Turbine and fog
Fog streaming between turbines at Snowtown Wind Farm
Snowtown Wind Farm, 2008/05/05
I have been aware of some of the proposed offshore wind farms for years, but the thing that caused me to start this page was a nonsensical opposition publication that I happened to read about a proposed offshore wind farm in NSW. It reminded me of the rubbish that I had read about onshore wind farms when they were a new development: baseless and ignorant predictions of disaster.

In February 2024 a federal politician, Andrew Hastie, in Western Australia joined in. He ran a dishonest scare campaign over a proposed offshore wind farm zone near my home in Mandurah.

I would have hoped that the great success of onshore wind power in the generation of electricity and the reduction of emissions would have led to a more knowledgable response to the development of offshore wind power, but it seems that the ignoramuses, liars and rumourmongers are going to be active again, as they were in the early years of onshore wind power development in Australia.

Mid-North South Australia, where I have lived most of my life, was one of the first areas in Australia to be developed for wind power. Between about 2007 and 2017 there were more wind farms and wind turbines in Mid-North SA than anywhere else in the country. And it was, and is, a great success. In the year up to the time I started this page more than 70% of South Australia's electricity was being generated renewably, and more than 45% generated by SA's wind farms, the great majority of which were in the northern areas.

 

Addiction to cheap energy

In an ideal world humanity would greatly reduce its energy demand, but in the real world there would be enormous resistance to this. Humanity is addicted to cheap energy and that is not going to change any time soon.

So, if we are not going to have catastrophic environmental impacts from our demand for cheap and abundant energy we must change, with urgency, from fossil fuel energy to sustainable energy.

South Australia, due to its adoption of solar and particularly wind power has done more to reduce greenhouse emissions over the last twenty years than any other Australian state, and proportionally, probably any country in the world. SA, through its great success in adopting onshore wind power, and to a lesser extent, solar power, has shown what can be done.

As discussed in the text box on the right (and in greater depth on another page on this site), modern people are addicted to cheap energy. The choice we have is for that energy to be generated by fossil fuel with its climate change impact and killer air pollution or turning to renewable energy. (Nuclear energy will never be economically competitive in Australia.)



Declaration of interest

I am strongly in favour of replacing Australia's fossil fuel fired generation with renewable energy. The burning of fossil fuels is widely recognised as the main cause of climate change, ocean acidification, sea level rise and ocean warming. The air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels kills millions of people world-wide each year.

I have long striven against anyone who dishonestly opposed wind power developments in South Australia where I have lived until the last two years. But above all, I love truth, honesty, justice and high ethical standards.

I now live in Mandurah in Western Australia about 40 kilometres from a proposed offshore wind farm zone.

While I hold that the offshore wind farm zone could displace millions of tonnes of greenhouse gasses and would be desirable for that reason, I do have some concerns about possible environmental impacts (which I have covered in elsewhere on this page). I would prefer to see onshore wind farms, solar farms, and power storage facilities.

My opinion is that any social or economic impact on the local community will tend to be more positive than negative. I have written on this elsewhere on this page.



Misty view
The damage to our beautiful shared planet is increased the longer we put off serious action on reducing emissions.
WA images, Peel lagoon, 2022/06/02

What is the present situation in regard to offshore wind power in Australia

 

Current wind power in Australia

The Clean Energy Council Report of 2022 stated that Australia had 9,126MW (9.1GW) of wind generation capacity. This could be dwarfed by the offshore wind power if the proposals and targets current at the time of writing come to fruition.
While there were, at the time of writing this page, no offshore wind farms around Australia, according to an article in Cosmos more than 50 offshore wind farms were being proposed. The European Union alone had 15GW of offshore wind power; to put this in perspective Australia's onshore wind farm capacity was about 10GW. There were also offshore wind farms in the USA, Japan and China. The world's first offshore wind farm was that of Vindeby in Denmark's territorial waters commissioned in 1991. Internationally offshore wind farms are a mature technology.

Australia has been in the fortunate position of having many high quality onshore wind farm sites available to it, so has not had to build the more expensive offshore farms. Europe, being densely populated, did not have so many available onshore opportunities.

As the best onshore sites have been taken up in Australia, offshore sites are becoming more competitive. Offshore winds tend to be stronger and more consistent than winds over land, and Australia has the advantage of having access to technology that has been developed and proven overseas.




Sunrise over the Peel
If we are to retain the world in good condition for future generations we must give a higher priority to the environment and replace polluting fossil fuels with renewable energy.
WA images, Peel lagoon, 2023/02/05

Impacts: on the natural environment

 
Climate change in the Clare Valley, SA
Ridgetop walk
The red stringybark trees (Eucalyptus macrorhyncha) are a remnant population that have been hard hit by climate change. It is likely to be one of the earliest tree populations that will become locally extinct.

Offshore wind farms will have some impact, climate change will have a far, far greater impact unless we change from fossil fuels to renewable energy with urgency.

Photo taken 2008/05/12. The defoliation followed a particularly harsh summer. I used to live nearby.

I have written about economic, recreational etcetera impacts elsewhere on this page.

Offshore wind farms have many of the same implications as onshore wind farms. I have written extensively about wind power problems, alleged problems and objections in regard to onshore wind farms on another page on this site.

There are two types of offshore wind turbines: those that have foundations in the seabed, and those that float but are anchored to the seabed. Floating turbines are used in the deeper waters, beyond about 60 metres. Offshore turbines with fixed foundations have been built for many years, floating turbines are a later development.

Offshore wind farm developments have some specific concerns:

Possible noise impact on whales and dolphins, in particular on whale migration (I have written at greater length on offshore turbines and whales in another section on this page):
Much of the Australian coast is at least the seasonal habitat of several species of whale whose numbers were severely impacted by past commercial whaling.

Whale watching has become a significant tourism industry. It has been suggested that offshore wind farms could drive migrating whales too far off the coasts to be accessible to whale watching boats. However, since proposed wind farms are at least ten kilometres from the coast and whales come quite close to coasts this seems to me unlikely.

Introduction of invasive species:
Any disturbance of a natural environment provides opportunities for invasive species to take hold.

Impact on the local seabed environment:
There will be different impacts depending on whether the turbines are fixed to the seabed or floating.

The seabed is disturbed during construction of turbines with fixed foundations and the presence of turbine towers provides an artificial habitat. How these changes will impact the indigenous species is unknown.

Floating turbines are secured by chains, cables or polyethylene ropes, or a combination of these. There may also be floats in the mooring lines. Depending on the type of mooring the anchoring chains or cables can drag across the bottom as the winds change - the impact this will have on the seabed is in question. Again, the anchors will provide habitat for some ocean life. For more information on the anchoring systems see Mooring system

Fishing trawlers damage the seabed.
An offshore wind farm will protect that area of the seabed from trawling damage.

In relation to any impact that floating or fixed offshore turbines might have on the local seabed we need to consider the impact that fishing trawlers have likely already had on the seabed and will have in the future.

It seems to me that any impact that either fixed turbines or the mooring lines of floating turbines would have on the seabed would likely be much less than the damage that has already been done, and will continue to be done, by trawling. The article by the US Geological Survey referenced below states that "Bottom trawling is a widespread industrial fishing practice that involves dragging heavy nets, large metal doors, and chains over the seafloor to catch fish." Plainly this heavily impacts corals, sponges and any other life forms on the seabed.

This is not to say that the damage due to turbines is excusable because it is probably far less than that caused by trawling; any damage should be avoided if possible. However, another aspect of this point is that if the presence of turbines makes trawling impossible it would seem that they could be considered to be protecting the seabed from future damage.

A review of the environmental impact of trawling on the seabed written by John Brian Jones of Murdoch University can be read in ResearchGate. The CSIRO has also produced a report on the effects of trawling. An article by the US Geological Survey is also informative.

Part-time environmentalists

Years ago I noticed that wind farm opponents suddenly became environmentalists when they previously hadn't seemed to care about environmental matters before a nearby wind farm was proposed. (Of course wind farms do far more good for the environment than they do harm, by reducing climate changing emissions but this was ignored by these 'new' opportunistic environmentalists.)

Now it seems that opponents of offshore wind farms who didn't care at all about the great damage that trawl fishing was doing to the seabed are suddenly greatly concerned about the far less damage that might be caused by offshore wind farms.

 

It has to be better than what we have now!

Offshore wind farms will have some undesirable impacts, but they will be far less harmful than the alternative; the burning of fossil fuels is widely recognised as the main cause of climate change, ocean acidification, sea level rise and ocean warming. The air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels kills millions of people world-wide each year.
As a layman with no experience or expertise in offshore wind farm development, but as a person with an open mind and long experience in combatting disinformation regarding onshore wind farms my impression is that while further research is always desirable it seems likely that impacts can and should be minimised, are likely to be tolerable, and should not stop construction.

There is a large amount of information available on the Internet, some of the more informative I have referenced elsewhere on this page.

 
Seismic blasting in the oceans has been used for oil and gas exploration for many years and there have been questions over whether it impacts whales and dolphins. While the seismic blasting for oil and gas needs to penetrate the seabed to depths of several kilometres, that for wind turbine foundations would only need penetrate to a few tens of metres, so would not need to be so loud.
I believe that seismic methods are used for planning fixed (as opposed to floating) offshore turbine installations and that hydraulic hammers are used to connect turbine footings to the rock foundations, the noise from these could pose a problem for the sensitive hearing of whales. There are ways of encouraging whales and dolphins to avoid construction areas (for example, acoustic deterrent devices) and there are ways of limiting the spread of construction noise through the water (such as bubble curtains).

A number of the proposed offshore wind farms will have floating turbines, rather than turbines with foundations in the seabed.

An article by NOAA (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) titled Frequent Questions—Offshore Wind and Whales is relevant to the whale impact question.




Impacts: economical, recreational, etc.

I have written about impacts on the natural environment elsewhere on this page.

Some concern has been expressed about the impacts that the offshore wind farms might have; I have tried to cover the possible environmental impacts in the section on Questions.

The proposed wind farms will be, at their closest points, at least five kilometres from the coast (some as much as 20km). So things that are very unlikely to be impacted include:

  • Tourism: the turbines will be visible, but so far out as to be unobtrusive;
  • Use of beaches;
  • Most recreational fishing (most recreational fishers don't go out that far).
 
When I wrote my page on Wind power problems, alleged problems and objections I found that there was no evidence that wind farms negatively impacted tourism.

Many studies into wind farms and property values indicated no negative impact.

As a consequence of the above there is unlikely to be any negative impact on land values and employment (also see the note in the box on the right).

There will be many employment and contracting opportunities and increased business for local service industries during construction. There will be some long term employment for turbine and electrical infrastructure maintenance.



 
This section added
2024/09/13

The expected lifetime of offshore wind turbines

Offshore wind farms do not have such a long history as onshore wind farms. It seems that the oldest are reaching the ends of their economic lives at the present. Quoting from Wikipedia:
"Vindeby Offshore Wind Farm was the first offshore wind farm in the world, erected in 1991 off the coast of the town of Vindeby on the Danish island of Lolland. It was decommissioned for cost reasons in 2017 after 25 years of useful life."
Most offshore wind farms have been built since the year 2000. See Wikipedia for information on the world's wind farms, onshore and offshore. Some of the earliest were built in Denmark; as an example, Middelgrunden wind farm, when built in 2000 was the biggest offshore wind farm in the world. It is still operating 24 years later.

Detractors of offshore wind power, like detractors of onshore wind power, often understate the economic lifetime of the wind turbines in order to make them seem less attractive. See, for example, the misleading speech given by Nola Marino, HHR for the federal seat of Forest.

See Appendix C and the references given there for a reply given by ChatGPT to my question on the lifetimes of offshore wind turbines.



 
This section added
2023/11/14

The myth that offshore wind turbines kill whales

In the period around the later months of 2023 those who have been opposing offshore wind farm developments have been spreading the myth that offshore wind farms kill whales. The simple truth is that wind turbines, and offshore wind farm surveys, do not kill whales.

The following two references will be found to be informative for anyone interested in the facts:

Article by NOAA (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) titled Frequent Questions—Offshore Wind and Whales.

Are offshore windfarms a problem for whales?; Cosmos, Jacinta Bowler, 2023/08/08.

The Australian ABC's Media Watch had a very informative session on the misleading information being spread by the less scrupulous sections of the media (and by leader of the federal opposition, Peter Dutton) on 2023/11/13. I have included a transcript of that program in Appendix B on this page.

More references could be found in the Media Watch transcript.



Peel lagoon
We must put aside our selfish wants and look carefully for the truth and sound evidence if we are to do our best for our shared environment.
WA images, Peel lagoon

Where can you find the truth about wind power?

 

My pages on wind power

I've lived in an area that led Australia in wind power development for years, I've written about wind power problems, alleged problems and objections and about the lies used by the less scrupulous of the opponents of wind power.

I try to hold high standards of ethics and positively contribute to my community and the world so I make every effort to be honest in what I write about wind power.

Look first for the reliable sources of general information, then look within those sources for the facts.

The ideal is to go to peer-reviewed articles that have been published in the established, reputable, science journals. But unfortunately these are not easily understood by the layman. The reputation of scientists depends on their honest conducting of, and reporting of, research. Articles in The Conversation have been written by academics; I find it one of the best sources of reliable information accessible to lay people.

Government and semi-government agencies that provide reliable information in Australia include the CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology. A particularly relevant page is Myth busting about offshore wind farms; Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

Some other sources I've found to be reliable are: Guardian Australia, Renew Economy and the ABC.

I've written a page on Where should you look for reliable information? and there is a piece written by ChatGPT on judging the reliability of sources elsewhere on this page.

The reliability (or otherwise) of sources can be checked through fact-checking sites. Two that I have used are Source Watch and Snopes. Others are Politifact and FactCheck.org.

Valuable information can be found from the social networks, but be careful who you believe. Notably unreliable sources are the Murdoch media and shock jocks such as Andrew Bolt and Alan Jones.

Also see the Related pages section of this page.



Into the Sun
This wonderful world is worth far more than the profits from the fossil fuel industries.
WA images, Serpentine River, 2022/05/09

Appendices

Appendix A: Chat GPT on judging the reliability of sources

The following is the reply I had from ChatGPT when I asked the question "Where can reliable information be found on the internet, and how can one avoid the unreliable sources?"
"Finding reliable information on the internet can be a challenge, given the vast amount of content available. Here are some strategies to help you find trustworthy sources and avoid unreliable ones:
  1. Use Established Websites: Start your research with well-known, reputable websites and sources. These can include government websites, academic institutions, respected news outlets (e.g., The New York Times, BBC), and organisations dedicated to specific topics (e.g., Mayo Clinic for medical information).
  2. Check the Domain: Pay attention to the domain name of the website. Government and educational institutions typically have domains ending in .gov and .edu, respectively. While not foolproof, these domains often indicate more reliable information.
  3. Look for Citations: Reliable sources often cite their information, providing references to studies, experts, or other reputable sources. If a website doesn't cite its sources or references unreliable sources, be cautious.
  4. Check the Author's Credentials: Investigate the author's qualifications. Are they an expert in the field? Do they have relevant education or experience? If the author's credentials are not provided or seem questionable, it may raise doubts about the reliability of the content.
  5. Peer-Reviewed Journals: When researching academic or scientific topics, prefer information published in peer-reviewed journals. Peer-reviewed articles are evaluated by experts in the field before publication, which helps ensure their reliability.
  6. Cross-Reference Information: When in doubt, cross-reference information from multiple sources. If several reputable sources confirm the same information, it's more likely to be reliable.
  7. Check for Bias: Be aware of bias in the source. Does the website or author have a particular agenda or bias that might affect the information's accuracy? Look for balanced and objective reporting.
  8. Check the Publication Date: Information can become outdated quickly, especially in rapidly evolving fields like technology and medicine. Make sure the information is current and relevant to your research.
  9. Beware of Red Flags: Be cautious of websites with spelling and grammatical errors, excessive use of sensational language, or a lack of contact information. These can be signs of unreliability.
  10. Use Fact-Checking Websites: Fact-checking websites like Snopes, PolitiFact, and FactCheck.org can help verify the accuracy of claims and information you come across.
  11. Read User Reviews and Comments with Caution: User-generated content, such as comments and reviews, can be valuable, but they can also be manipulated or biased. Use them as supplementary information rather than your primary source.
  12. Educate Yourself: Develop critical thinking skills to evaluate information. Learn about logical fallacies, bias, and other factors that can distort information. Fact-check claims using reliable sources.
  13. Consider the Source's Reputation: Research the reputation of the website or organization. Do they have a history of providing accurate information, or have they been involved in controversies?
  14. Use Search Engines Wisely: Search engines like Google often rank pages based on relevance, not reliability. Don't rely solely on the order of search results; apply the above criteria to assess each source's reliability.
  15. Trust Your Instincts: If something feels off or too good to be true, take extra precautions and verify the information thoroughly.
Remember that no source is entirely infallible, but by using these strategies, you can significantly increase your chances of finding reliable information on the internet. Critical thinking and skepticism are essential tools when navigating the digital landscape."
All the above is, in my view, excellent advice. Getting advice from robots and the reliability of artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT are subjects that are far too big for me to go into here. But one point I will make is that AI robots can only get their information from sources that are accessible to them. Many of the very reliable sources, such as academic journals, are behind a paywall and may not be available to applications like ChatGPT.




Appendix B: wind turbines and whales

The following is the transcript from ABC's Media Watch of 2023/11/13.
"But now to whales and wind turbines, and culture warriors switching sides:

MARK FERGUSON: A battle is brewing in Wollongong. Locals gathering today adamant a planned wind farm off their coast should not go ahead …

JODI LEE: Campaigning to preserve their slice of paradise. Hundreds of people gather under the spring sun to say ‘no’ to a federal government proposal for a wind farm off the coast of Wollongong.

PROTESTER: You've got to say, ‘Bugger off, Bowen’. That's my suggestion.

- Seven News (Sydney), 29 October, 2023

Energy Minister Chris Bowen is soon to decide whether a section of the Pacific Ocean south of Sydney will be given the green light for offshore wind farm development.

And as community consultation continues, opposition has been running hot:

WIND FARM RALLY DRAWS HUNDREDS

… to hear speakers from across the community condemn plans to place wind turbines offshore from the Illawarra

- Illawarra Mercury, 30 October, 2023

The proposal to allow wind farms is backed by Labor and the unions who expect it to bring hundreds of jobs to the Illawarra region.

And is welcomed by those who want clean, renewable energy to combat global warming.

But many locals aren’t happy about what the turbines might look like, what it might mean for fishing and tourism, and even for mornings:

Offshore wind turbines will “block the sunrise”: Illawarra consultation takes a bizarre twist

- RenewEconomy, 11 October, 2023

And what it might mean for the whales that cruise up and down the coast every winter from Antarctica to calve in Queensland.

Six weeks ago, No Offshore Windfarms For The Illawarra had a post on its Facebook page which claimed the massive turbines ‘could kill up to 400 whales per year’.

Attributing this warning to a University of Tasmania study published in a respected scientific journal called Marine Policy.

But was it true? As the Illawarra Flame soon revealed, it wasn’t:

Whale of a tale proves to be fake news

- Illawarra Flame, 11 October, 2023

With Associate Professor Michelle Voyer from the University of Wollongong’s Blue Energy Futures Lab telling the reporter:

“It was completely fabricated. There was no such paper.”

- Illawarra Flame, 11 October, 2023

Since then the Sydney Morning Herald and ABC have also lined up to debunk the killer claim, with the ABC quoting the Editor-in-Chief of Marine Policy, Professor Quentin Hanich saying, the study ‘does not exist’ and there is no scientific evidence that wind farms do kill whales.

And backing him is Greenpeace, which said two weeks ago:

RICHARD GEORGE: There are no studies anywhere in the world that show wind farms killing whales.

- WIN News Illawarra, 31 October, 2023

The Illawarra Facebook post was soon taken down with an admission it was wrong.

But has its unmasking as fake news stopped others from spreading the fears? Certainly not.

As the Guardian reports, the message is still getting out on posters and social media:

For weeks, an image of a beached whale with turbines in the background has appeared on a roadside billboard in Port Stephens, north of Newcastle, under the words “Stop Port Stephens Offshore Wind Farms”.

- The Guardian, 12 November, 2023

And last month, Opposition leader Peter Dutton was in Port Stephens urging locals to save the whales:

PETER DUTTON: When you look at the whales and the mother and the calf that we saw out there, the dolphins, all of that is at risk because there’s no environmental consideration of what these huge wind turbines — 260, 280 metres out of the water — will mean for that wildlife and for the environment.

- NewsDay, Sky News Australia, 24 October, 2023

And Dutton’s new-found passion for marine mammals is matched by The Australian, whose environment editor Graham Lloyd has warned:

In a country that loves its beaches and oceanic way of life, dead whales are never going to be a poster child for sustainable living.

- The Australia, 21 September, 2023

And on Sky News a pod of hosts and guests have echoed these fears, including Rowan Dean:

ROWAN DEAN: Not only is it outrageously expensive but it will kill our whales.

- Outsiders, Sky News Australia, 24 September, 2023

Prue MacSween:

PRUE MACSWEEN: … they’re prepared to destroy the environment to save the environment. That’s what they’re saying they want to do.

- Credlin, Sky News Australia, 18 August, 2023

And coal champion, Matt Canavan:

MATT CANAVAN: Well, Peter, I never thought I’d be coming on your show and desperately arguing to save the whales. I didn’t think that universe, those planets would align …

- First Edition, Sky News Australia, 19 September, 2023

Offshore wind farms have been around for more than 30 years.

But evidence that they’re killing whales, such as it is, is far more recent.

And it comes from the US, where a similar debate is raging as Sky’s Andrew Bolt explained:

ANDREW BOLT: … last weekend another dead whale was found on America’s eastern coast — that’s the 60th since December 1. And a new documentary this week called Thrown to the Wind points blame at the many, many new offshore wind farms off that coast.

- The Bolt Report, Sky News Australia, 17 August, 2023

Thrown to the Wind is the work of the controversial American environmentalist and former PR man, Michael Shellenberger, who wrote the best-selling book Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All, which has been described by one expert reviewer as abounding in ‘bad science and bad arguments’.

Much loved by conservatives and climate sceptics, Shellenberger is a passionate campaigner for nuclear power to replace fossil fuels.

And that has fellow nuclear lovers who champion his work in something of a bind, as News Corp columnist Tim Blair mused to Chris Kenny:

TIM BLAIR: At this point do we all just switch sides? All the right wing people like myself who have always made fun of the whale people, do we now say ‘protect the whales’? And do our lefty friends, as they’ve previously done in the case of birds that were killed, or are killed, in enormous numbers by wind turbines, do they switch sides and say ‘ah whales, what are you worrying about whales for?’.

- Chris Kenny Tonight, Sky News Australia, 15 August, 2023

As Tim Blair points out the battle lines have been redrawn and the armies have switched sides, here and in the US, with culture warriors like ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson suddenly going all greenie and getting worked up about:

TUCKER CARLSON: … massive offshore wind turbines that appear to be killing large numbers of whales.

- Tucker Carlson Tonight, Fox News, 1 February, 2023

And trumping his concern is former US President, Donald Trump, who told a recent rally:

DONALD TRUMP: There has only been, listen to this, one such whale killed off the coast of South Carolina in the last 50 years but on the other hand their windmills are causing whales to die in numbers never seen before …

… you wouldn’t see it once a year, now they’re coming up on a weekly basis. The windmills are driving them crazy.

- The Independent, 26 September, 2023

The BBC has fact-checked Trump’s claim and concluded bluntly:

There is no evidence to back Mr Trump's suggestion that offshore wind turbines are killing whales.

- BBC, 26 September, 2023

And CNN has reached the same conclusion.

There’s also no evidence — according to the experts — that surveying and building offshore wind farms is causing whales to die.

America’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has repeatedly stated:

There are no known links between recent large whale mortalities and ongoing offshore wind surveys.

- NOAA, 17 August, 2023

And the US Marine Mammal Commission agrees, making it:

… the third federal agency to reject a link between the deaths and the offshore wind energy industry, despite a growing narrative among offshore wind opponents that probing the ocean floor to prepare for wind turbine projects is killing whales.

- Phys Org, 23 February, 2023

But will that stop the media spreading the fears? I think you know the answer to that.

And is it the wind farms or the whales they’re really worried about? I think you know the answer to that too."

The ABC's Media Watch program, in my opinion, is one of the most valuable programs to those who are concerned with the truth on Australian television.




Appendix C: Chat GPT, Lifetime of an offshore wind turbine particularly relating to corrosion

I put the following question to ChatGPT: "What is the expected lifetime of an offshore wind turbine? How great a problem is corrosion?"

The reply is below:

"The expected lifetime of an offshore wind turbine is typically around 20 to 25 years, although it can be extended with proper maintenance and technology upgrades. However, due to the harsh marine environment, several factors can affect its longevity, particularly corrosion.

Corrosion and Its Impact
Corrosion is a significant problem for offshore wind turbines because they are constantly exposed to saltwater, moisture, and wind, all of which accelerate the degradation of materials. Corrosion affects several key components, including:

  • Foundations and Towers: Steel foundations and towers are particularly vulnerable to rusting due to saltwater exposure. Corrosion here can lead to structural weakening.
  • Blades: Although blades are usually made from composite materials, which are less susceptible to corrosion, any metal components or connectors in the blade structure can degrade.
  • Electrical Systems: Saltwater intrusion can damage electrical and electronic components, leading to system failures.
Mitigation of Corrosion
To counter corrosion, offshore turbines are equipped with various protective measures:
  • Corrosion-resistant coatings are applied to metal components.
  • Cathodic protection is used, where sacrificial anodes (made of more reactive metals like zinc or aluminum) are used to protect the turbine's steel structures.
  • Regular maintenance and inspections are essential for monitoring and addressing corrosion issues early.
Despite these measures, corrosion remains one of the most significant challenges in maintaining offshore wind turbines and can influence their operational costs and downtime."

The references ChatGPT gave for this were:

  1. Corrosion Protection Systems and Fatigue Corrosion in Offshore Wind Structures: Current Status and Future Perspectives by Seth J. Price and Rita B. Figueira
  2. Review of corrosion monitoring and prognostics in offshore wind turbine structures: Current status and feasible approaches by Robert Brijder, Catalina H. M. Hagen and others.




References and related pages

 
Karri trees
Climate change will damage areas like this. It could well put at risk the survival of Western Australia's beautiful karri tree forests.
South West WA, 2022/08/30

External sites...

International...

Offshore wind power; Wikipedia. In the context of this page the section on Environmental considerations is particularly interesting.

Guide to a Floating Offshore Wind Farm, the guide was launched in March 2023;
  About the Guide
  Mooring system

Article by NOAA (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) titled Frequent Questions—Offshore Wind and Whales.

Are offshore windfarms a problem for whales?; Cosmos, Jacinta Bowler, 2023/08/08.

Offshore wind farm construction is noisy – but gadgets used to protect marine mammals are working; The Conversation, 2023/01/19, written by Isla Graham, Research Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen

Environmental Impacts of Offshore Wind Power Production in the North Sea; A Literature Overview; WWF

Potential environmental effects of deepwater floating offshore wind energy facilities, Elsevier, Ocean and Coastal Management, written by Hayley Farr, Benjamin Ruttenberg, Ryan K. Walter, Yi-Hui Wang and Crow White; 2021/06/15
 
An onshore wind turbine at Starfish Hill Wind Farm
Starfish Hill wind turbine
Close to the coast, but onshore, South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula. Photo 2007/03/14.

Australia, external sites...

This seems to be a particularly useful site: Myth busting about offshore wind farms; Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Offshore wind farm map of Australia, by RenewEconomy

Articles on Offshore wind [farms, power]; The Conversation, September 2023

Offshore wind presents energy advantages as part of growing Australian blue economy, CSIRO, 2021/07/22

Offshore wind will come to Australian waters – as long as we pave the way for this new industry; The Conversation, 2022/03/11, written by Llewelyn Hughes and Thomas Longden. Relating to the Victorian government's targets for offshore wind capacity of 2 GW by 2032, 4GW by 2035, and 9GW by 2040.

How a false claim about wind turbines killing whales is spinning out of control in coastal Australia; written by Adam Morton, Jordyn Beazley and Ariel Bogle, for The Guardian, 2023/11/12.

Facebook: YES to Wind Farms Collective, Central Coast, Hunter, Port Stephens

On this site...

Relating to wind power

Wind power in Australia

Wind power problems, alleged problems and objections

Bird deaths from wind turbines

A Teal candidate for the electorate of Canning?: the current incumbent, Andrew Hastie, is opposing the proposed 20GW offshore wind farm zone. His statements on the wind farm zone are dishonest and misleading. Can we replace him with a progressive, honest, climate-aware community independent?

Western Australia's offshore wind farm zone

Turbine images with messages

Relating to environment

Climate change in an international context and in an Australian context

Earth or cheap energy?

Addicted to cheap energy

Relating to ethics

Ethics, some thoughts

Self or all? Selfishness or altruism?

Contribution; positive, negative, or nothing?

Compassion, not just for our fellow humans, but for the whole biosphere

Politicians responsibilities; many polies are shirking their responsibilities

Donald Trump, a symptom and example of selfishness