Korsnäs Offshore Wind Farm project will continue the bat surveys launched in 2024. The aim of the surveys is to map the spring and autumn migration of bats, as well as their occurrence in the project area.
The bat surveys of the Korsnäs Offshore Wind Farm project were launched at the turn of May and June, and they will continue until the autumn migration of the bats in October. The surveys aim to provide an accurate picture of the occurrence and behaviour of bats in the project area and in its vicinity in both land and sea areas. The results will be used to assess the environmental impacts of the offshore wind farm project and to plan the project.
“Last summer’s surveys implied that most bats migrate along the coast rather than at sea. This year’s surveys are expected to provide more information and clarify these observations,” says Charlotta Lindberg, licensing expert at Vattenfall.
In the sea area, tracking is carried out using existing buoys to which bat detectors are attached for the duration of the surveys. These devices store information about all bat flybys. Similar detectors have also been placed on the mainland and in the archipelago, where they monitor the activity of bats throughout the migration season.
Based on previous general research data, bats migrating in the spring and autumn often gather near the coast to wait for favourable weather conditions to cross the sea area. Coastal activity thus provides valuable information on the time of the migration and the flight routes.
Vattenfall and Metsähallitus are jointly developing an industrial-scale offshore wind farm project at Korsnäs. The project will be built approximately 15km from the coast and will have a maximum planned capacity of 2.5 GW. The estimated annual production is up to 7 TWh, which corresponds to the annual consumption of more than 350,000 electrically heated single-family houses. The project is expected to be completed in the 2030s.
Further information:
Anna Lehto, Wind Power Specialist, Metsähallitus, +358 40 191 2995, anna.lehto@metsa.fi
Heli Satuli, Head of Communications, Vattenfall, +358 40 480 4075, heli.satuli@vattenfall.com