Latest news with #Njord
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
MoD plots £1.5bn radar upgrade as wind farms threaten to conceal attacks
Military chiefs are planning a £1.5bn upgrade of Britain's radar defences amid fears that the growing number of wind farms risks leaving the country blind to attacks. Under the Ministry of Defence's 'Njord' programme, named after the Norse god of sea and wind, seven air defence radar stations around the country will be replaced or improved to ensure they are not confused by interference from turbines. There are already 3,352 operational or under-construction wind turbines in UK waters, according to the Crown Estate, with another 1,000 at least set to be deployed by 2030 to meet the Government's net zero targets. Without measures to tackle the problem, military chiefs fear the interference will impede the ability of the Royal Air Force to detect enemy missiles and aircraft. Each radar station upgrade will be worth up to £210m and the Ministry of Defence opened the bidding process earlier this year, with several unnamed defence companies in the running. An industry source said: 'They are concerned that, without mitigation, you are going to see a deterioration of radar coverage if you build all the wind farms envisaged under the 2030 targets. 'That would potentially reduce the time you have to respond to threats, as well as the probability of detecting them, and so would leave the country more vulnerable to attacks.' The interference problem occurs when turbine blades reflect the electromagnetic pulses pinged out by radar stations, generating unhelpful background noise for the system operators. Each blade on a turbine can generate a false return, creating the potential for massive disruption from some sites. The first two phases of Dogger Bank, the UK's biggest wind farm, boast 190 turbines alone. But the Ministry of Defence has warned that every wind farm that is built 'will have a unique, detrimental impact' on its ability to detect threats such as missiles or hostile aircraft, 'as they reduce the volume of air space that the radars can effectively survey'. As a result, military officials have been studying options to fix the problem. This could include attempting to mask the turbines by putting radar-absorbing paint on them – similar to the kind used by stealth aircraft such as the F-35 – or through computer software fixes that scrub phoney signals out of readings automatically. Other companies have suggested turning the wind turbines themselves into assets, rather than liabilities, by fixing an array of sensors to them such as cameras, microphones and radio aerials that could detect the presence of enemy threats. Under the upgrade plans, work on the first four sites – Neatishead in Norfolk, Staxton Wold in North Yorkshire, Brizlee Wood in Northumberland and Buchan in Aberdeenshire – would begin in July 2026, according to transparency documents. Work is expected to start on the other three – Saxa Vord in the Shetlands, Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides and Portreath in Cornwall – in October 2027. The contracts are expected to last for 120 weeks. An MoD spokesman said: 'As we build the next generation of large-scale offshore windfarms, we are looking at innovative ways to mitigate any impact on the UK's air defence capability.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
MoD plots £1.5bn radar upgrade as wind farms threaten to conceal attacks
Military chiefs are planning a £1.5bn upgrade of Britain's radar defences amid fears that the growing number of wind farms risks leaving the country blind to attacks. Under the Ministry of Defence's 'Njord' programme, named after the Norse god of sea and wind, seven air defence radar stations around the country will be replaced or improved to ensure they are not confused by interference from turbines. There are already 3,352 operational or under-construction wind turbines in UK waters, according to the Crown Estate, with another 1,000 at least set to be deployed by 2030 to meet the Government's net zero targets. Without measures to tackle the problem, military chiefs fear the interference will impede the ability of the Royal Air Force to detect enemy missiles and aircraft. Each radar station upgrade will be worth up to £210m and the Ministry of Defence opened the bidding process earlier this year, with several unnamed defence companies in the running. An industry source said: 'They are concerned that, without mitigation, you are going to see a deterioration of radar coverage if you build all the wind farms envisaged under the 2030 targets. 'That would potentially reduce the time you have to respond to threats, as well as the probability of detecting them, and so would leave the country more vulnerable to attacks.' 'A unique and detrimental impact' The interference problem occurs when turbine blades reflect the electromagnetic pulses pinged out by radar stations, generating unhelpful background noise for the system operators. Each blade on a turbine can generate a false return, creating the potential for massive disruption from some sites.
The Independent
13-02-2025
- General
- The Independent
Crew not wearing flotation devices during fatal capsizing, investigators find
Eight crew members including a deckhand who died were not wearing personal flotation devices when a fishing boat capsized, an investigation has found. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) found the UK-registered stern trawler Njord capsized 150 miles north-east of Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, on March 6, 2022 after a 'substantial list' flooded the boat. Njord's eight crew abandoned to the vessel's upturned hull, but none were wearing either a personal flotation device, an immersion suit or carrying a means to raise the alarm. The MAIB report said 'fortunately', Njord's emergency position indicating radio beacon floated free of the wreck and alerted search and rescue authorities, who sent a helicopter and a nearby vessel to assist. The helicopter arrived on scene 45 minutes later but Njord sank within minutes of its arrival and all eight crew ended up in the water. The aircraft pulled three of the crew out of the water and a rescue ship gathered the other five. The three rescued by helicopter were taken to Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway, where one deckhand was pronounced dead. A post-mortem examination recorded drowning as his cause of death, the report said. The other two crew members were kept in for observation and discharged three days later. The MAIB found the Njord overturned after a sinking net of fish secured to the starboard trawl winch acted on a handrail on the vessel's starboard side, causing the list. It also found a valve in a drain in the weather-tight bulkhead on the boat's starboard working deck had been left open, which allowed down-flooding into its internal spaces. The investigation concluded modifications made to Njord reduced the safety margin of the vessel's transverse stability and this led to the boat capsizing. The MAIB offered no recommendations after investigating the incident given existing guidance on vessel modifications and the wearing of personal flotation devices.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Crew not wearing flotation devices during fatal capsizing, investigators find
Eight crew members including a deckhand who died were not wearing personal flotation devices when a fishing boat capsized, an investigation has found. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) found the UK-registered stern trawler Njord capsized 150 miles north-east of Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, on March 6, 2022 after a 'substantial list' flooded the boat. Njord's eight crew abandoned to the vessel's upturned hull, but none were wearing either a personal flotation device, an immersion suit or carrying a means to raise the alarm. The MAIB report said 'fortunately', Njord's emergency position indicating radio beacon floated free of the wreck and alerted search and rescue authorities, who sent a helicopter and a nearby vessel to assist. The helicopter arrived on scene 45 minutes later but Njord sank within minutes of its arrival and all eight crew ended up in the water. Downflooding is a serious risk. Ensure:– all hatches and doors are securely closed– bilge pumps are operational– scuppers are clear of debrishttps:// — MAIB (@maibgovuk) February 13, 2025 The aircraft pulled three of the crew out of the water and a rescue ship gathered the other five. The three rescued by helicopter were taken to Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway, where one deckhand was pronounced dead. A post-mortem examination recorded drowning as his cause of death, the report said. The other two crew members were kept in for observation and discharged three days later. The MAIB found the Njord overturned after a sinking net of fish secured to the starboard trawl winch acted on a handrail on the vessel's starboard side, causing the list. It also found a valve in a drain in the weather-tight bulkhead on the boat's starboard working deck had been left open, which allowed down-flooding into its internal spaces. The investigation concluded modifications made to Njord reduced the safety margin of the vessel's transverse stability and this led to the boat capsizing. The MAIB offered no recommendations after investigating the incident given existing guidance on vessel modifications and the wearing of personal flotation devices.
