| EnviroGulf Consulting |  |
|---|---|---|
INDEPENDENT ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANCY | ||
ABN 62 713 622 437 |
SITE MENU |
LINKS |
OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY |
Electric Industry - Offshore Wind Energy
The Principal of EnviroGulf Consulting has local and international experience in assessing the marine electromagnetic impacts of operating high voltage dc and ac subsea electric cables, as well as evaluating and monitoring construction impacts of marine installations.
The Principal completed a 2-year assignment for the Basslink Project, which proposes an HVDC link between the Australian mainland (Victoria) and Tasmania. In support of the Basslink Project, the Principal carried out detailed analyses of DC electromagnetic effects on marine life, environmental reviews and site visits of existing high-voltage DC interconnectors and projects in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and The Netherlands. In addition, the Principal has recently completed a review of the effects AC electromagnetic fields on marine life caused by marine electromagnetic sounding technqiues.
Consulting Services
EnviroGulf Consulting offers the following services to clients:
- Critical review of existing literature, reports and databases on marine environmental impacts of offshore wind energy developments including electromagnetic impacts of subsea high-voltage DC and AC cables.
- Calculation of magnetic fields generated under different power (MW) loadings.
- Calculation of electric fields generated or induced under different power (MW) loadings.
- Marine environmental impact assessment of construction phase including seabed site preparation and installation of caissons, wind turbine bases and subsea cables.
- Marine environmental impact assessment of operations phase, such as the physical effects of generated magnetic and thermal fields, generated and induced electric fields, underwater noise and residual impacts after mitigation on cetaceans, sharks and rays, bony fish, turtles and marine plants and invertebrates.
- Review of post-operation and decommissioning aspects of offshore wind energy plants.
- Design, implementation and execution of marine surveys and/or monitoring programs to assess the marine impacts of offshore wind energy development installations and operation.
- Project management for marine studies, including co-ordination of multidisciplinary teams, government and regulatory authority liaison, quality assurance and quality control.
- Environmental review: Environmental review and audit of existing environmental management systems (EMSs) and environmental troubleshooting.
- Environmental monitoring: Monitoring design, planning and implementation, baseline/inventory monitoring, compliance monitoring, sampling and analysis planning, biomonitoring and surveillance.
- Risk assessment: Preliminary risk assessment, hazard identification, exposure assessment, risk characterisation, and ecological risk assessment.
- Information management: Data processing, statistical analysis, quality assurance/quality control.
- Peer review of EIA documents for other offshore wind energy projects.
EnviroGulf Consulting has access to electrical engineering consultants having a proven track record in providing cost-effective services to the electric industry. In addition, EnviroGulf Consulting has access to recognised specialist scientists on cetacean and shark biology and population dynamics, and who are familiar with electromagnetic impacts on the marine biological environment.
We have subconsultants who can undertake magnetic surveys of the marine environment in the vicinity of HVDC subsea cables operating under different power loadings, using a high resolution Caesium vapour, fast sampling (10Hz) marine magnetometer.
Relevant Experience
- Bass Strait Marinus Link Project (2019 - ongoing) - Assessment of physio-chemical and marine ecology impacts of constructing an HVDC cable across Bass Strait and the impacts of electromagnetic fields generated by operation of the HVDC cable on marina fauna, including invertebrates, fish and cetaceans (with Tetra Tech Coffey Pty Ltd for Tasmanian Networks Pty Ltd).
- Environmental Impact of Marine Electromagnetic Sounding (2003) - Assessment of the effects of underwater noise and ac electromagnetic fields on marine life (plants, invertebrates, fish, marine mammals, birds and sea turtles) from active electromagnetic (EM) sounding surveys (to Offshore Hydrocarbon Mapping Limited, Aberdeen, UK.).
- Marine Impacts of AC Tone Generators (2003) - Assessment of the marine biological impacts of oscillating AC magnetic fields (and seawater-movement induced AC electric fields) generated by the use of 24-Hz AC Tone generators to locate, track and position subsea electric cables (to Enesar for Basslink Pty Ltd).
- Basslink Project (2000-2003) - Assessment of construction environmental impacts of HVDC cable installation and sea electrode emplacement and operational environmental impacts (underwater noise, electric fields, magnetic fields, chlorine-produced oxidants and halogenated organic compounds, and heat generation) on marine water quality, flora, fauna and marine resource use (with NSR Environmental Consultants Pty. Ltd for Basslink Pty. Ltd.).
- Basslink Project (2000) - Site visit to transmission system operators of proposed and existing subsea high voltage DC interconnectors in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and The Netherlands and assessment of environmental effects on the marine environment (with NSR for National Grid International Limited).
Please see the Principal's CV for more informastion.
