Abstract
In 2015, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate (EZK) decided to set up an integrated monitoring and research programme to study gaps in our knowledge relating to the impact of offshore wind farms (OWFs) on protected species of the Dutch North Sea. This programme was established in response to a recommendation from Rijkswaterstaat (RWS), that knowledge gaps are primarily generic rather than specific for individual Offshore Wind Farms (OWFs). This led to the establishment of the Dutch Offshore Wind Ecological Programme (Wozep). The scope set out by EZK to RWS was issued in late 2015 for the period 2016 to 2021. In the “Monitoring and Research Programme 2017-2021” (MRP), the outline of the complete research and monitoring programme for the period 2017-2021 is set out. The Ministry has prolonged the period of the research programme to 2023. Wozep is strongly related to the Framework Ecology and Cumulation (KEC), which delivers input to Wozep and vice versa.
The objectives of Wozep are:
◼ Reduce (scientific) uncertainties concerning knowledge gaps and assumptions from KEC, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Appropriate Assessment (AA).
◼ Reduce uncertainties concerning knowledge gaps and assumptions regarding long term impacts and upscaling of OWFs (in relation to OWF plans that may follow up on the roll-out of the Energy Agreement 2).
◼ Determine effectiveness of mitigation measures (in the context of the 40% cost reduction in the Energy Agreement (remark: cost reduction has been reached duet o subsidy free bids).
Since the start of Wozep in 2016, the need for knowledge on the ecological state of the North Sea and the attention of both the government and the stakeholders has changed due to progressive insights and upscaling of wind energy at sea. To optimally contribute to the identification of the most important knowledge questions on the impact of offshore wind and because Wozep has been running for 5 years now, it is important to evaluate the results of Wozep. In 2019, EZK expressed its intention to use the term of Wozep to be extended to 2030. A substantial evaluation is therefore also important input to develop the scope of Wozep for the period up to and including 2030.
Rijkswaterstaat assigned Royal HaskoningDHV to execute this midterm evaluation of Wozep. The aim of the evaluation is to clarify what knowledge has been gained, to what extent the original research questions of Wozep have been answered and how these results were used in policy and management.