Offshore Windfarm Decommissioning: A proposal for guidelines to be included in the European Maritime Policy

maitebell@mac.comMay 2007SummaryThe EU Maritime Policy should address the adoption of guidelines for decommissioning of offshore windinstallations. This of vital importance for marine habitats and biodiversity, and growing renewable energyuse. In taking a holistic approach to the lifecycle processes of a windfarm, and in designing guidelines thatcall for their own periodical evaluation, room is left for better management and a process which foresees andcan adapt to future complications and allows for innovation and updating.Decommissioning includes a variety of impacts including economic, commercial, environmental andecological. EIA is necessary to estimate impacts, and should include information about the site and its en-vironment, nearby conservation areas, expected changes in biological populations, local shipping, fisheries,recreational users, estimated loss or damage to marine habitats, effects on water quality, mitigating measures,timing of decommissioning, recycling of materials and control of pollution.Materials used in the wind farms should be standardized to assist the recycling or disposal after decom-missioning. Decommissioning policy should be integral to the European Maritime Policy. Different countryrequirements and standards may interfere with a wider marine spatial planning, recycling and disposal ofdecommissioned windfarms, and the marine environment. Our recommendation is that the OSPAR guide-lines be adopted. In essence they recommend that remains of offshore installations should be removed unlessthere are strong reasons not to. The application of these guidelines along with our propositions and discus-sion will fulfill the objectives of an integrated Maritime Policy, with marine spatial planning, conservation,and regulated use of the marine environment.