The UK's National Oceanography Centre (NOC) has published a new report detailing a roadmap aimed at enhancing the understanding of the environmental impacts of offshore wind farms on marine ecosystems. Commissioned by the Scottish Government's Scottish Marine Energy Research (ScotMER) Programme, the “Scoping an Offshore Wind Sustained Observation Programme” report will guide the monitoring of offshore wind farm developments, particularly in the North Sea.
The report comes at a crucial time as the Scottish Government works towards its net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target by 2045. With plans for significant offshore wind expansion, the roadmap addresses knowledge gaps regarding the effects of fixed and floating wind farms, particularly in deeper waters, which are predicted to be a key area for future wind farm development.
NOC's report reviews the current understanding of the North Sea's marine environment, focusing on the water column's structure and seasonal changes. It outlines essential ocean variables (EOVs) that should be monitored to establish baselines and track future environmental changes. These EOVs will help safeguard marine ecosystems during offshore wind expansion.
Dr. Michela De Dominicis, a senior scientist at NOC, emphasized the limited knowledge about the impacts of offshore wind on marine life in deeper waters, particularly as climate change adds complexity to the issue. “Relatively little is known about what impacts fixed and floating wind farms could have as offshore wind expands into deeper waters, with climate change adding further complexity,” said De Dominicis.
Dr. Charlotte Williams, a physical oceanographer at NOC, added, “This step in understanding is what we need to baseline and then observe ongoing changes in the marine environment, which will then help to safeguard the health of our ocean.”
The Scottish Government aims to add at least 20GW of new renewable electricity capacity by 2030, with offshore wind playing a crucial role. Currently, around 3GW of offshore wind is operational in Scottish waters. The ScotWind leasing round targets a further 28GW, with 5GW planned for the Innovation and Targeted Oil & Gas (INTOG) round. A significant portion of these future projects will involve floating wind farms located in deeper, more stratified waters, where phytoplankton production is impacted by water column stability and mixing.
The report advocates for better integration of existing data and calls for the acquisition of essential physical and biogeochemical indicators at regional and site-specific levels. It also recommends using a variety of monitoring platforms, including remote systems, to track these indicators. To predict the cumulative impacts of future wind farms, the report stresses the importance of computer model simulations, which should be based on both existing data and new information gathered from wind farm observation campaigns.
Furthermore, the roadmap highlights the need for improved collaboration between stakeholders and joint industry programmes to ensure long-term, strategic monitoring and the establishment of clearer protocols for modelling and monitoring environmental impacts.
The roadmap's recommendations are expected to inform a review of the Scottish Government's Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy, helping to align future wind developments with updated scientific knowledge and the latest leasing rounds.
