- COWRIE
- Board Members
- Members
- Timeline
- Research
- News
- Guidance for Assessment of Cumulative Impacts on the Historic Environment from Offshore Renewable Energy
- New report published on trial high definition video survey of seabirds
- New report published on the further use of aerial surveys to detect bird displacement by offshore windfarms
- Publication of the COWRIE workshop on the cumulative impact of offshore windfarms on birds
- New report published on the potential use of population viability analysis to assess the impact of offshore windfarms on bird populations
- New report published on radar in-fill for the Greater Wash area - feasibility study
- New report published on the potential for acoustic deterrents to mitigate the impact of underwater noise on marine mammals
- New report published on the potential engineering solutions to mitigate the impacts of underwater noise on marine mammals
- New Graduate and Postgraduate Awards for Environmental Research into Marine Renewable Energy
- Guidance for the assessment of cumulative impact on the historic environment from offshore renewable energy: released for consultation (15 June 2007)
- First Awards made through the COWRIE Graduate and Postgraduate Awards for Environmental Research into Marine Renewable Energy (March 2007)
- COWRIE-sponsored Marine Stakeholders Event
- Consultation: Historic Environment Guidance Note
- New report published on bird displacement
- New Graduate and Postgraduate Awards for Environmental Research into Marine Renewable Energy
- New underwater noise report published (6th July 2006)
- Electromagnetic Fields Stage 1 Report
- Wind Fire and Water: Renewable Energy and Birds
- ENewsletter January 2006
- COWRIE Ltd a Registered Charity
- Remote Techniques
- Tender Opportunities
- COWRIE Seminar at the 27th BWEA Conference
- Review on Potential Impacts of Offshore Windfarm Sub Sea Cables Published
- COWRIE Data and Information Management Seminar
COWRIE E-Newsletter January 2006
In this issue:
News
COWRIE LTD
- COWRIE Ltd awarded Charitable Status
- COWRIE structure
- GeoData and Naturebureau appointed for data management and Secretariat services
ENVIRONMENT WORKING GROUP
- First set of research projects selected
DATA MANAGEMENT WORKING GROUP
- Release of the draft "Data Information and Management plan"
- COWRIE Developer data and information Seminar in London, 5th December 2005
- Next steps - Data and Information Management Plan
EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATIONS WORKING GROUP
- COWRIE Seminar at the 27th BWEA Conference in Cardiff, October 2005
- COWRIE representation at the Franco-British Marine Energies Seminar, January 2006
Future Meetings
New Publications
REVIEW ON POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF OFFSHORE WINDFARM SUB SEA CABLES, JULY 2005
NEW GUIDANCE FOR THE USE OF REMOTE TECHNIQUES FOR OBSERVING BIRDS BEHAVIOUR, JANUARY 2006
News
COWRIE LTD
COWRIE Ltd obtains Charitable Status
Breaking news: COWRIE Ltd has just been successful in obtaining charitable status. It is now listed in the Central Register of Charities as charity number 1112518.
COWRIE structure
COWRIE Ltd was created following the completion of Round 1. It currently holds £2.7million from the non-refundable option fees paid by developers and will receive gift aid of any surplus from COWRIE 1. With a broader remit than COWRIE 1, the three inter-related strands of work within COWRIE Ltd are: Generic Environmental Research, Data Management and Education & Communication. Contracts for work to improve understanding of the potential impacts and benefits of the offshore wind industry and develop best practice guidance will continue to be identified and placed as for COWRIE 1 projects.
Full brief and background information on COWRIE 1 click here
GeoData and Naturebureau appointed for data management and Secretariat services
Due to the much larger size and scope of COWRIE Ltd, COWRIE has awarded contracts to the GeoData Institute and Naturebureau, respectively, to deal with data management issues and to provide Secretariat support for the Board, Working Groups and research contract management. Updates on the Group's activities and minutes of meetings will soon be available here
ENVIRONMENT WORKING GROUP
First set of research projects selected
The Environment Working Group has met three times on 23rd September, 14th November 2005 and 17th January 2006. Members selected five projects to be taken forward for funding consideration under COWRIE Ltd. These are:
- evelopment of archaeological guidance
- Impacts of electromagnetic fields (EMF) on elasmobranchs
- Reducing the impact of noise from turbine piling operations
- Best methods for survey and monitoring of marine mammals
- Study of the possible displacement effects of windfarm development on seabirds
Specifications have been drawn up for the EMF project and can now be found, along with tendering details, on the website. Tenders for the archaeological guidance project have been received and are currently being evaluated by a panel drawn from the Environment Working Group. Specifications for the three other projects are currently being finalised and will soon be made available.
For current tender opportunities, please see click here
DATA MANAGEMENT WORKING GROUP
Release of the draft "Data Information and Management plan"
The first draft of the Data and Information Management Plan (DIMP) has now been released and posted on the COWRIE website for comments. The implementation of the DIMP will enable developers to comply with the licence conditions when submitting environmental data and information during the various phases of the renewables projects.
Draft version of the DIMP click here
COWRIE Developer data and information Seminar in London, 5th December 2005
The Data Working Group hosted a Data and Information Workshop on December 5th for invited participants representing Offshore Windfarm Developers and their environmental and data consultants. The workshop provided a valuable input into the development of the Data and Information Management Plans for COWRIE. Further details about the workshop including a summary click here
Next steps - Data and Information Management Plan
Following the COWRIE Data and Information Workshop held in December 2005 (see previous section), a programme of guidance and data management updates is planned. These actions seek to keep offshore energy developers and other potential data submitters aware of the next stages.
Nominated data contacts within the developer organizations will be visited to review the metadata and data submission support needed. If you have not nominated a contact point, you can still send the questionnaire responses or email cth@geodata.soton.ac.uk. For COWRIE research projects that will be submitting data, you will be contacted and kept up-to-date through the Environment Working Group, as well as through these channels.
It is intended to keep developers aware of the next steps through presentations to the Strategic Areas Groups Seminars and online at http://www.offshorewind.co.uk. Michael Hay, of BWEA, has agreed to act as a point of contact between developers and COWRIE at a strategic level. Industry representatives on the Data Technical Working Group will be providing feedback.
It is planned to have a metadata entry interface operational by April 2006. This will be demonstrated and available online. More generally, an online forum has been created (please go to http://data.offshorewind.co.uk/consultation/ ) for you to add comments at any time (comments and questions can be made anonymously if desired).
Updates on the DIMP progress will also form a regular feature of this Newsletter.
EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION WORKING GROUP
The Board continues to lead the Education and Communications strategy, and has contracted EBloc Interactive Ltd to design the dedicated COWRIE Ltd website at www.offshorewind.co.uk. This already features information about COWRIE and the work that is underway, including notice of contracts that are out to tender. The site is being developed to become a gateway for information about offshore renewables and will include an interactive map of the projects around the UK coast and links to key organizations and information. An education module is also under consideration.
COWRIE Seminar at the 27th BWEA Conference in Cardiff, October 2005
About 50 delegates attended the Seminar, including some 10-11 developers. This was considered to be a good turnout, considering that the Seminar had been competing with other sessions. Presentations were considered interesting and informative. Support for the event was gratefully acknowledged and the prospect of similar sessions at future BWEA events noted.
Full details and presentations: click here
COWRIE representation at the Franco-British Marine Energies Seminar, January 2006
About 200 British and French delegates attended this one and a half day conference, including developers, researchers and consultants and environmental NGOs. It provided an opportunity to improve mutual understanding of the two countries regulatory systems, exchange of best practice, raise the profile for moves towards a low-carbon economy and provided opportunities for commercial and R&D partnerships. COWRIE's research projects attracted a lot of attention from both sides, and will hopefully provide a platform for communications and sharing information between the two countries.
A programme and background to the seminar can be found: http://www.univ-lehavre.fr/actu/fbmes_english.php Presentations will soon be made available on that same link.
Future meetings
CALENDAR
17th January - COWRIE Environment Working Group meeting, London
16th March - COWRIE Board meeting, London
4th/5th April - BWEA annual offshore wind conference, Westminster
11th April - COWRIE Environment Working Group meeting, London
11th July - COWRIE Environment Working Group meeting, London
12th July - COWRIE Board meeting, London
10th - 12th October - BWEA 28, Glasgow
17th October - COWRIE Environment Working Group meeting, London
18th October - COWRIE Board meeting, London
New publications
REVIEW ON POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF OFFSHORE WINDFARM SUB SEA CABLES, JULY 2005
COWRIE is pleased to announce the publication of a new report into the potential effects of electromagnetic fields generated by the sub-sea power cables associated with offshore windfarms on electrically and magnetically sensitive marine organisms.
Full story and report: click here
NEW GUIDANCE FOR THE USE OF REMOTE TECHNIQUES FOR OBSERVING BIRDS BEHAVIOUR, JANUARY 2006
COWRIE is also pleased to announce the publication of a new guidance for the use of remote techniques for observing bird behaviour within offshore wind farms. The study was commissioned in response to concerns about the potential impact on birds encountering offshore windfarms.
Full story and report: click here
If you would like more information on any of the items included in this issue or wish to submit an item for future issues, please contact Chloe Delgery (cowrie@naturebureau.co.uk).
