Giant wind farm backs black turbines to save eagles

One of the southern hemisphere’s largest wind farms is poised to become the first in Australia to trial a potentially groundbreaking – and simple – method of reducing bird deaths from turbines.

A painted turbine at a wind farm in Smøla, Central Norway; part of a major study that showed painting every third turbine black can reduce bird deaths by 71.9%. Picture by Roel May.

One of the southern hemisphere’s largest wind farms is poised to become the first in Australia to trial a potentially groundbreaking — and simple — method of reducing bird deaths from turbines.

UPC Renewables told The Australian it had included in its development application plan for the $1.6bn project, proposed for northwest Tasmania, the concept of painting black every third turbine blade.

The idea was raised with the wind industry by Wind Farm Commissioner Andrew Dyer, after an 11-year Norwegian study found that painting every third turbine blade black cut bird deaths by more than 70 per cent.

The black tips reduce visual blur, increasing visibility to birds, with the trial in Norway eliminating eagle deaths.

Bird deaths from wind turbines are a significant issue, especially in Tasmania, where some 50 to 60 endangered wedge-tailed eagles have been killed by turbines, and where 10 wind farms are proposed.

UPC chief operating officer David Pollington said the black turbine proposal had been included in eagle management plans, part of DAs for the Tasmanian wind project, proposed for Robbins Island and Jim’s Plain, delivering up to 1000 megawatts.

“We are committed to assessing whether the paint-it-black makes a difference, and if it does, I wouldn’t see why we wouldn’t implement it,” he said.

Me Pollington said established wind farms with nearby eagles populations would retrospectively adopt the method if a trial proved it effective.