In the period 2011-2016, the cumulative extent of permanent and significant hydrographic changes was expanded from 15.57 km2 to 23.69 km2. This increase is only due to the construction of offshore wind farms. Although it has long been assumed that the presence of an offshore wind farm does not cause permanent and significant hydrographic changes, recent studies based on satellite observations, in situ observations and numerical simulations have shown that wind turbines can locally disrupt erosion and sedimentation patterns. Numerical studies show that the soil stress changes significantly over an area of ​​approximately 0.066 km2 around each wind turbine. All 233 offshore wind turbines installed in the FDNZ at the end of 2016 would, according to this realistic estimate, be responsible for significant hydrographic changes over a cumulated area of ​​15.47 km2.

Offshore wind farms are the only infrastructure projects that were carried out in the 2011-2016 period. Outside the erosion zone at the foot of each wind turbine (a zone with a radius of 5 to 15m around the foundation of the wind turbine that is considered to be a physical loss), there is to date no evidence that the permanent hydrodynamic changes due to the presence wind turbines have an adverse effect on benthic habitats.

Offshore wind farms are the only infrastructure projects that were carried out in the 2011-2016 period. Outside the erosion zone at the foot of each wind turbine (a zone with a radius of 5 to 15m around the foundation of the wind turbine that is considered to be a physical loss), there is to date no evidence that the permanent hydrodynamic changes due to the presence wind turbines have an adverse effect on benthic habitats.