Spiorad na Mara offshore wind farm environmental surveys
Environmental data supporting informed offshore wind development and consenting.
Offshore wind expansion
We supported the development of the proposed Spiorad na Mara offshore wind farm, located approximately 5–13 km off the west coast of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.
With a planned capacity of 900 MW, the project represents a significant contribution to renewable energy generation in Scottish waters.
Spiorad na Mara is owned by Northland Power (75.5%) and ESB (24.5%), with Northland leading the development, construction, and operation.
Understanding the seabed environment
As part of a comprehensive site characterization programme, DNV conducted detailed benthic and environmental baseline surveys to support the project’s environmental impact assessment and consenting process.
Survey activities were carried out aboard the MV Situla and included drop-down camera surveys, grab sampling, and water sampling. A local vessel was also deployed to perform remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveys, enabling detailed mapping of kelp habitats – a Scottish Priority Marine Feature (PMF) – within the proposed export cable corridor.
Our work provided critical ground-truthing of geophysical data, contributing valuable ecological insights to inform the development of this proposed project.
Supporting informed and responsible development
By combining offshore survey execution with laboratory analysis, we delivered robust, high-quality environmental data to support project development.
This integrated approach enabled:
- Improved understanding of benthic habitats and species distribution.
- Accurate mapping of sensitive features, including kelp habitats.
- Reduced uncertainty in environmental assessments.
- Stronger evidence base for consenting and design decisions.
