PURE WIND Operational Turbine Noise

To support the UN Decade of Ocean Science and Sustainable Development, our acoustic team was hired to develop a comprehensive underwater noise propagation model that is capable of estimating noise levels for various sound sources and activities encountered over the lifecycle of Offshore Wind Farm development with a particular emphasis on turbine operational noise. The PURE WIND model uses state-of-the-art parabolic equation and ray-tracing algorithms for modelling sound propagation in complex marine environments and was adapted to a variety of sources representing different stages of development, from early acoustic surveys to operational noise and decommissioning.

The PURE WIND project aims to expand our knowledge of the radiated noise from offshore wind development operations and the potential biological consequences, placing them in appropriate regulatory contexts and including provisions for adaptive mitigation advice.