Exploring Environmental Impacts of the Offshore Wind Energy Site Assessment Process in the French Bank Wind Energy Area

Abstract

Canada and Nova Scotia are both committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 with a focus on pursuing renewable energy sources. Offshore wind energy development in the Canada-Nova Scotia offshore area presents an opportunity to advance renewable energy in the region due to the abundance of space, high velocity winds, and consistent availability of high-quality winds reaching speeds greater than 9 m/s. In order to establish a thriving industry that balances development with environmental protection, developers are responsible for undertaking detailed site assessments to assess metocean, geologic, biologic, and archaeologic conditions within their proposed project area. This project aims to address the need for environmental protection during the site assessment process by exploring environmental conditions in the French Bank Wind Energy Area through targeted literature reviews and assessing what the possible impacts of various surveys may be on the environment by developing risk matrices. Across identified methods used to assess metocean, geologic, biologic, and archaeologic conditions, common impacts on the marine environment included greenhouse gas emissions, collisions between vessels and wildlife, physical damage to the environment, marine noise, introduction of invasive species, and marine contaminants. It was found that with appropriate mitigative measures, the likelihood and severity of all common impacts can be reduced. As the industry develops, it will be essential to minimize greenhouse gas emissions, prioritize the wellbeing of wildlife, develop comprehensive prevention and response plans, and leave room for improvement and advancement to ensure sustainable site assessments.