Nature surveys for Metsähallitus’ Edith and Ebba offshore wind power projects will be launched in the waters off Närpiö, Pyhäjoki and Raahe. During the summer and autumn of 2024, the current status of the areas’ birds and zoobenthos, as well as the flow conditions and water quality in the marine areas, will be surveyed. The environmental consultants selected for the projects, Ramboll (Edith) and Sitowise (Ebba), are responsible for the surveys.
At Pyhäjoki and Raahe, the surveys will be carried out both in the open sea and near the shore. In Närpiö, the surveys will focus on the open sea in the project area. The environmental studies near the shore are related to the mapping of electricity transmission routes. The electricity transmission routes have not yet been decided upon.
Field work for nature surveys is carried out during the growing season when aquatic plants can be easily identified. Surveying the shore areas also involves mapping endangered plant species and habitats, with biologists wading and diving close to the shore. However, the sampling points are further away from the shore. The results of the study will be used in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and land-use planning processes that will start later.
Source: Metsähallitus
