WindSpeed Decision Support System (DSS), a planning instrument to reduce conflicts between offshore wind parks and environmental concerns

Jongbloed (2009), Inventory of current and future presence of non-wind sea use functions, WindSpeed WP3 Report D3.1, IMARES report no. C131/09, Dec. 2009, IMARES, Den Helder,The Netherlands 2. Ter Hofstede, R. H.J.L. Heessen and N. Daan (2005): Systeembeschrijving Noordzee: Natuurwaardenkaarten vis. RIVO report C090/05, RIVO, IJmuiden, The Netherlands 3. Jacquemin, J., D. Butterworth, C. Garret, N. Baldock and A. Henderson: Inventory of location specific wind energy cost. WINDSPEED project report D2.2 (GH report 101499/BR/02A) Offshore wind energy has the potential to provide a large share of Europe’s future electricity demand. Unless adequately addressed, environmental concerns and other uses of the sea could make a large scale development of offshore wind energy difficult. The GIS-based Decision Support System developed within the EU-project WindSpeed (www.windspeed.eu) can help to analyse a realistic potential for offshore wind energy by including environmental concerns as wells as relevant sea use functions, and their interactions. For the Southern and Central North Sea, natural values are taken into account to analyse suitable areas for the development of Offshore Wind Parks (OWP). A resulting map shows regions that are generally suitable, not suitable or negotiable for OWP. Abstract PO.ID 60