Location:
Lake Erie

Client:
Icebreaker Windpower

Partners:
Aerial Associates, Inc., Biosonics, BSA Environmental, Cornell University, Ohio State University, Vemco

Our Expert:

LimnoTech is conducting physical, chemical, and biological studies in Lake Erie to help Icebreaker Windpower understand offshore lake conditions and potential environmental impacts during the pre- and post-construction phases of an offshore wind development project called “Icebreaker Wind.”

The Challenge

Icebreaker Wind is part of a demonstration project funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy. Icebreaker Windpower is proposing to install six 3.45 MW wind turbines eight to ten miles offshore of Cleveland, Ohio, in Lake Erie. The proposed project components include 413-foot-diameter blade rotors, Mono Bucket foundations, and two buried electric cable components. As part of the proposed project, Icebreaker Windpower needs to understand offshore lake conditions and potential environmental impacts during the pre- and post-construction phases of offshore wind development.

The Solution

LimnoTech brought together experts from Ohio State University, Cornell University, Vemco, Biosonics, BSA Environmental, and Aerial Associates, Inc. to conduct a rigorous assessment of conditions in Lake Erie. Physical, chemical and biological data from this effort can be compared with monitoring data collected during construction and post-construction phases of the project to examine potential impacts. A sampling plan was developed with guidance from the Office of Coastal Management at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The assessment includes lake currents and water chemistry, food web monitoring, and fish behavior and boating. Monitoring began in 2016 and continues into 2017 and will continue through construction and post-construction phases of the project.

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