The Crown Estate has announced it is partnering with a range of UK-wide expert bodies to launch three significant research projects that will help to enable the coexistence of offshore wind farms with a thriving marine environment.
Led by Natural England, Scottish Government and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the projects will be delivered and supported by many other public, private and charitable organisations.
In a news announcement, the Crown Estate said the projects will explore a wide range of environmental issues, identify evidence-gaps and inform how we can collectively implement positive change by improving understanding amongst key decision-makers of how offshore wind deployment could affect marine habitats and wildlife in combination with other activities. This will ensure that we maximise the opportunity of UK offshore wind power whilst protecting and enhancing marine biodiversity.
The projects comprise:
• POSEIDON (Planning Offshore Wind Strategic Environmental Impact Decisions) – led by Natural England, this four-year project will improve the knowledge of environmental risks across UK waters and provide tools for future offshore wind planning.
• PrePARED (Predators and Prey Around Renewable Energy Developments) – a four-year partnership led by Scottish Government’s Marine Scotland directorate and co-funded by Crown Estate Scotland that will help improve understanding of how seabirds, marine mammals and fish respond to offshore wind farms.
• Remote Tracking of Seabirds at Sea – the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds will harness novel tracking techniques over a five-year period to fill critical knowledge gaps in the movements and populations of seabirds, such as puffin and kittiwake.
Last year, The Crown Estate undertook a key resource area study to determine where future potential might lie for both fixed and floating wind. Data and insights from this study have informed conversations about the sustainable growth of the offshore wind industry. The Marine Data Exchange is another tool used to share data and encourage evidence-based decisions. The first of its kind, it holds offshore survey data collected by The Crown Estate’s customers throughout the lifetime of a project to help make better choices in the future.
Read more on the Crown Estate website.
