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FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR A LARGE WIND FARM AT GULF ... - NREA

FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR A LARGE WIND FARM AT GULF ... - NREA

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ni/OrniSummary.doc<br />

- 3 -<br />

Zone 2: Construction Subject to Further Ornithological Monitoring and Verification<br />

In this area of about 94 km² heavy migration in the direction to the coastal mountain chain,<br />

Gabal El Zayt, was recorded during spring. Apparently, birds had followed the mountain<br />

chain of the foothills of the Red Sea Mountains so far north that they had to fly in south-<br />

easterly directions to reach the coastal mountains. That means that this zone is situated in<br />

the border area of the Zone 1 and might even belong to it. Based on the findings of the one<br />

year ornithological investigations an utilisation of this area for wind power development has<br />

to be rejected. Further ornithological monitoring and verification may lead to revised results.<br />

Zone 3: Construction critical<br />

In the Yellow Zone there is no immediately recognisable topographical bottleneck. The ter-<br />

rain opens out and offers the birds more room to manoeuvre. Most birds moving through<br />

here are heading in the direction of Suez. Any wind farm installation in that area would re-<br />

quire technical avoidance/mitigation measures at the plants and in the infrastructure itself as<br />

to the best practicable standard. Moreover, a careful post installation monitoring programme<br />

needs to be executed to assess, whether the impacts in a wind park will remain on accept-<br />

able level or whether additional measures will have to be carried out.<br />

Consequences for the development of wind energy in the <strong>NREA</strong> area:<br />

From the ornithological findings the following conclusions are drawn by the Consultant:<br />

According to the ornithological assessment a wind park construction in the Zone 1 shall be<br />

definitely banned. This is valid as well for Zone 2 (about 94 km²), but there is still a chance<br />

that further ornithological monitoring may justify some wind power development in this zone.<br />

From the present point of view these two areas have definitely to be excluded.<br />

The frame conditions for a possible wind power development in Zone 3 for the expansion<br />

stage 2010/2011 can be seen from Figure 2. The total area of Zone 3 is about 154 km². Out<br />

of that the following portions are critical with regard to wind power development:<br />

• A low land zone with some salt lakes in the Northeast, a Sebkha, would be unfavour-<br />

able for wind power development as it would require extraordinary construction<br />

measures at significantly elevated costs. Moreover, this area is ecologically more

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