Wind farms can disrupt coastal radar, study finds
A Chinese study models larger blind spots and false targets at certain distances and angles.
A Chinese study concludes that offshore wind farms can reduce the performance of coastal surveillance radar. It is a modelling study with measurements for validation, not evidence that every wind farm causes the same disruption in practice.
The researchers built a model of a wind turbine farm and an X-band coastal surveillance radar. They used the WRAP platform for radio propagation and two International Telecommunication Union models covering, among other things, diffraction and interference.
The study examined five combinations of distance and angle between the radar and the wind farm. At a distance of five kilometres and a particular angle between them, the effective radar range in the model fell by 6.86 per cent. The area in which the radar could detect nothing became 14.85 per cent larger.
According to the researchers, the turbines can also cause false radar contacts. Reflections can make signals return as if a target were present. In the simulation, the intensity of these so-called ghost targets was greatest at a distance of twenty kilometres, but their precise significance depends on the radar system used.
The researchers checked their model against field measurements collected before the wind farm was built. This makes the results stronger than a purely theoretical calculation, but the study remains dependent on the radar selected, turbine height, terrain conditions and weather situation.
The study was published online in August in the Chinese journal Radio Engineering. The results therefore mainly say something about the configurations examined. They are not a general safety standard for wind farms, nor do they indicate that shipping or coastal surveillance automatically becomes unreliable once turbines are installed at sea.
For permitting authorities and operators, the practical question concerns the positioning of turbines and radars. Possible measures include greater distance between them, adjustments to the radar layout or additional sensors. Which solution is needed must be determined for each location.
The finding fits into a longer-running technical debate about wind turbines and radar. It says nothing about the climate benefits or economic feasibility of offshore wind. The study does show, however, that energy planning and maritime safety need to be assessed together in some areas.
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The technical results were checked directly against the publication data in the journal. The text makes clear that this is scenario-dependent modelling and avoids making a general safety claim.
- confirmed The study uses a model of an offshore wind farm and an X-band coastal surveillance radar. — This is stated in the publication’s abstract. source
- confirmed At five kilometres, radar coverage fell by 6.86 per cent in one scenario examined. — The publication cites a maximum decrease of 6.86 per cent at 0 degrees and five kilometres. source
- confirmed The area with undetectable targets increased by 14.85 per cent in that scenario. — This percentage appears in the study’s abstract. source
- confirmed The study describes false or ghost targets caused by radar reflections. — The publication refers to multipath effects and ghost interference. source
- confirmed The results do not automatically apply to every wind farm. — This follows from the study design, which uses five specific scenarios and one type of radar; it is a methodological limitation. source
Editor's note
The study has been published and uses a validated simulation model with prior field measurements. The figures apply to specific scenarios; there is no basis for directly extrapolating them to all Dutch wind farms.Sources
- 海上风电场对岸基雷达探测性能影响仿真分析 — Radio Engineering / CNKI
- Offshore wind farm could create radar blind spots and ghost targets, Chinese study warns — South China Morning Post
More on this in Dutch media
- NU.nl — „offshorewind radar”
- De Telegraaf — „offshorewind radar”
- AD — „offshorewind radar”