Abstract
This report has provided an overview of potential environmental impacts of offshore wind power generation. The conclusion, that it is possible to construct offshore wind farms without significantly damaging the environment, is supported by the results from environmental impact assessments (EIA) conducted over several years at Horns Rev offshore wind farm in Denmark. However, these results are not necessarily transferable to other geographic areas, and the cumulative impacts of new offshore wind farms have not been thoroughly addressed for the North Sea. Effective cross-border co-ordination of plans and projects such as the development of offshore wind farms, the European integrated offshore grid and the efficient development of Marine Protected Area networks will be essential to develop more offshore wind while minimizing the environmental impact.