Salamander, a joint venture between Ørsted, Simply Blue Group and Subsea7, has partnered with two Scottish universities to investigate any potential impact of floating windfarms on marine ecosystems.
The PREDICT 2.0 initiative involves deployment of various sensors that can be used to help identify the potential impacts of floating windfarms on marine ecosystems, including the drivers of variation in fish movement and availability as prey.
The innovation package has now been deployed on the Salamander floating wind site, as was committed to during the project’s Innovation and Targeted Oil & Gas (INTOG) bid. The sensors – which include a fluorometer and echosounder – are gathering data on fish presence and behaviour as part of a research programme led by the University of the Highlands and Islands’ (UHI) Environmental Research Institute and the University of Aberdeen. When the programme is complete, the equipment will be fully removed.
Tom Brown, Salamander’s Innovation Manager, said: “This multi-year initiative aims to help us develop a deeper understanding of fish migration patterns and how these can be better monitored. The goal is to improve siting of offshore wind farms to minimise any impact on fish and their predators.
“We already know that the demand for offshore renewable infrastructure is increasing exponentially and by ensuring we can appropriately research new project locations, we can more sustainably build a path to a better energy future while protecting the environment.”
Salamander’s Project Director, Hugh Yendole said “It’s really good to see the Salamander project team deliver once again, on time, one of the key components that demonstrates Salamander’s value to the commercialisation of floating wind and for the Scottish supply chain.
Dr Benjamin Williamson, Associate Professor of Energy at UHI said: “Marine sensing is vital to understand the environment around floating offshore wind farms. Robust information and evidence are needed to inform where offshore wind developments should be located to better protect marine ecosystems. This exciting research will help to understand the drivers of variation in fish movement and the potential for environmental interactions with offshore wind.”
The 100 MW floating wind farm is to be located 35 km off the coast of Peterhead, generating enough green energy to power 100,000 homes. In May, the project submitted its offshore consents application to the Scottish Government.
If consented, the project will provide key insights and opportunities for the Scottish supply chain for future larger-scale developments in Scottish waters and further afield, ahead of the larger-scale ScotWind build out.
Notes to editors:
For more information, contact: Chloe Martin at BIG Partnership, chloe.martin@bigpartnership.co.uk
About Salamander Floating Offshore Wind
The 100 MW Salamander floating wind project, a joint venture between Ørsted, Simply Blue Group and Subsea7, will be a major contributor to ensuring the UK government’s target of delivering 5 GW of operational floating offshore wind by 2030 is both achievable and to the maximum benefit of public and private stakeholders.
The pioneering project, located 35 km off Peterhead on the East Coast of Scotland, is designed to provide the Scottish supply chain with an early capacity development opportunity, enabling it to play a much greater role in subsequent large-scale floating offshore wind buildout.
The project will deploy innovative and cutting-edge floating offshore wind technologies to support the cost reduction
and learning journey needed for the commercial deployment of floating offshore wind.
In May 2023, Salamander signed an exclusivity agreement as part of Crown Estate Scotland’s Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing round.
The 100 MW project will be a contributor in the delivery of the Scottish Government’s target 11 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and the UK Government’s target of 5 GW of operational floating offshore wind by the same date.
Further information concerning the proposed floating offshore wind farm can be found at: www.salamanderfloatingwind.com
About Ørsted INTERNAL
The Ørsted vision is a world that runs entirely on green energy. Ørsted develops, constructs and operates offshore and onshore wind farms, solar farms, energy storage facilities, and bioenergy plants, and provides energy products to its customers. Globally, Ørsted is the market leader in offshore wind and it is constructing the world’s biggest offshore wind farms off the UK’s East Coast.
Ørsted is recognised on the CDP Climate Change A-List as a global leader on climate action and was the first energy company in the world to have its science-based net-zero emissions target validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Headquartered in Denmark, Ørsted employs approx. 8,000 people, including over 1,100 in the UK.
Visit orsted.co.uk or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter
About Simply Blue Group
Simply Blue Group, headquartered in Cork, Ireland, is a leading blue economy developer focused on replacing fossil fuels with clean ocean energy. It develops pioneering blue economy projects – offshore wind, sustainable fuels, marine energy, carbon dioxide removal and low-impact aquaculture – all in harmony with the oceans. The company has a pipeline of over 10 GW of offshore wind projects across the globe.
Simply Blue Group is committed to creating new economic opportunities for coastal communities, and developing projects that co-exist with sustainable fisheries and marine conservation.
With a passionate team of over 100 people, Simply Blue Group has offices in Cork, Dublin, Newquay, Pembrokeshire, Edinburgh, Bilbao, and Nova Scotia.
To find out more about our blue economy projects, please visit https://simplybluegroup.com/
About Subsea7
Subsea7 is a global leader in the delivery of offshore projects and services for the energy industry. Subsea7 makes offshore energy transition possible through the continuous evolution of lower-carbon oil and gas and by enabling the growth of renewables and emerging energy. It creates sustainable value by delivering the offshore energy transition solutions the world needs, for today and tomorrow.
To find out more visit www.subsea7.com or Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.
