Offshore Wind Turbines to Be Painted Black, for Birds’ Safety

Authorities in the United Kingdom have decided to paint offshore windfarms in black in an attempt to reduce the number of bird casualties as winged species tend to fly into them.

As the number of wind turbines installed in the North Sea will increase in the coming years, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is launching a four-year trial to paint them. According to estimations, each turbine causes the demise of between four and 18 seabirds every year.

The transition from fossil fuels to renewables is “unstoppable,” as described by the energy minister Ed Miliband, a staunch supporter of wind power. It is estimated that by 2030, the number of annual offshore wind installations needs to at least triple, and onshore wind, double in that time. Norway has already painted its turbines black, and it led to a 70% fall in associated bird deaths. A Spanish utility company has successfully used decals that look like eyes at the base of the wind turbine, an effective way to deter birds, leading to a 65% drop in bird sightings in the vicinity.