Complex, multilevel risk assessment (aircraft collision and wind farms)

© SymbolixWhere? South Australia

Who for? Wind Farm Developer

What we did:

This client was constructing a wind farm in an area with some local air traffic. At the time there was little official regulation for risk mitigation for areas away from airports. To compare very different options like lighting (which can also have negative impacts), or more general community engagement required a complex risk analysis.

This was also difficult because the understanding of the key drivers and mitigation options for collisions between aircraft and terrain in general airspace is hampered by a lack of data.

We combined data from a range of sources and developed a risk barrier model to assess the relative efficacy of a range of mitigation options. This provided a robust and quantitative assessment of specific options.© Lars Christensen | Dreamstime.com

We then assisted the client to incorporate this risk model into a broader, semi-quantitative risk assessment according to ISO standards (AS/NZ 4360). The robust nature of the assessment allowed the client to have confidence in their approach and to actively and successfully engage with industry regulators.