Greenpeace’s seabed protest puts boulders in path of major North Sea wind farm
Boulders dumped by Greenpeace activists off England’s Norfolk coast to prevent destructive fishing practices could complicate preparations for a major offshore wind farm project, despite the environmental group saying they would not pose a significant obstacle. The activists placed around 15 metric tons of rocks on the seabed as part of a campaign against bottom trawling, a fishing method that involves dragging heavy nets along the ocean floor.
However, most of the boulders were deposited within the area designated for the Norfolk Vanguard East offshore wind farm, one of the UK’s largest planned renewable energy projects. The development is part of a £12 billion ($15.86 billion) investment agreement involving German energy company RWE and the UK government. Construction is expected to begin next year. Greenpeace began placing the rocks without permission from the marine authority, days before the UK government announced £1 billion ($1.32 billion) in public funding for the Vanguard East and Vanguard West projects at the COP31 climate summit.
Left out here: Leaves out what changes the picture
The article never says that Greenpeace was not aware of the plans to build Vanguard East when it placed the boulders, though it did check the seabed for cables, pipelines and wrecks. S3's 'However' and S6's link between the dumping and the funding announcement days later leave room for a reader to think the group targeted the wind farm site on purpose. The article's own account of the anti-trawling aim and Greenpeace's support for offshore wind limits that reading.
How we know
- The Guardian reported“it was not aware of the plans to build the Vanguard East windfarm”Greenpeace boulders may delay building of £12bn windfarms in North Sea (opens in a new tab)
- The Guardian reported“Greenpeace activists unwittingly dumped about 15 tonnes of boulders on to the site”Greenpeace boulders may delay building of £12bn windfarms in North Sea (opens in a new tab)
RWE is now in discussions with Greenpeace to establish the precise locations of the boulders and assess their potential impact on construction and undersea cables. A company spokesperson described the communication with Greenpeace as “constructive” and said RWE would “continue to investigate the precise implications” for the project, according to daily The Guardian. Greenpeace UK co-executive director Will McCallum dismissed suggestions that the rocks would create a serious obstacle.
“Anyone familiar with offshore wind in the North Sea knows that energy companies routinely move naturally occurring boulders from the seabed before building windfarms,” he said. “Some of these boulders can be 10 times heavier than those we placed.” McCallum said the organization supported offshore wind development but wanted to protect marine ecosystems from destructive fishing activities. “While we wait for this windfarm to be built, our boulders will provide an essential barrier to destructive bottom trawlers that are decimating the seabed in this protected area,” he added.
The rocks, some bearing the signatures of actors Simon Pegg and Benedict Cumberbatch, are expected to be removed within months as preparations for the wind farm advance.
Read the original article on aa.com.tr (opens in a new tab)