Offshore wind farm could create radar blind spots and ‘ghost’ targets, Chinese study warns
Offshore wind farms can reduce the coverage of shore-based radar systems and create areas where targets become harder to detect, according to a new study. The researchers found that at a range of 5km (3 miles), effective radar coverage fell by 6.9 per cent while blind spots increased by 14.9 per cent. The research, published online last month in the peer-reviewed Chinese journal Radio…
A recent study conducted by researchers at Qingdao Technological University and the Yantai Communication Centre warns that offshore wind farms could disrupt radar systems and create "ghost" targets in the affected areas. According to the research published in the Chinese journal Radio Engineering, radar coverage can be reduced by up to 6.9 percent at a distance of 5 kilometers (3 miles) and blind spots can increase by 14.9 percent due to large arrays of wind turbines.
These turbines can produce false targets through reflected radar signals, which could complicate the detection of vessels in coastal waters. The study's lead author, Professor Liu Zunnian, explained that wind turbines, being massive metal objects, inevitably interfere with radar signals. Military experts have observed similar interference issues in other countries, such as Britain, where they have been studying the problem for decades.
Chinese military officials argue that offshore wind projects should have taken radar interference into account during the planning stages, as most of these projects were built after 2004. To mitigate the issue, experts suggest careful site selection, improved radar algorithms, and supplementary radars. China has rapidly expanded its offshore wind capacity, currently boasting 48.4 gigawatts of installed capacity, which accounts for approximately 52 percent of the global total.
The research was conducted under Shandong province, a crucial port region for trade in northern China and the Yellow River region.
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