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Examining the impact of decommissioned offshore structures   A new study suggests that decommissioned offshore structures offer limited long-term ecological benefits if they are simply left in the ocean to serve as artificial reefs. 🔽 Find more info in comments below 🔽 #Decommissioning #OffshoreOilandGas #OilandGasNews #ArtificialReefs #OilandGasJobs ⤵️ Click Follow on our page to keep up to date with energy news ⤵️

I am happy to anounce that our new publication is now available online. Multi-use offshore farms have the potential to address marine space limitations and stimulate collaborations and new economic opportunities. However, its environmental impacts are not yet well understood. This study aims to quantify the potential environmental impacts a multi-use offshore farm, which combines an offshore wind farm and a mussel farm, by performing a Life Cycle Assessment. This research forms part of the SUMES project. Thanks very much to all the co-authors. This work would not have been possible without the hard work and contributions of Bilge Baş Sue Ellen Taelman Sander van den Burg Jo Dewulf. #Sustainability #BlueEconomy #Multiuse #LifeCycleAssessment

#Salamander, the #floatingoffshorewind joint venture between Ørsted, Simply Blue Group and Subsea7, is working with two Scottish universities to assess the potential impact of #floatingwind farms on #marine ecosystems. https://lnkd.in/g39FXKgP. #fish #fishmigration #marinelife #esg #offshore #research #sensors #fluorometer #echosounder

The article discusses a federal lawsuit filed by conservative groups against the Biden administration and Dominion Energy over the Virginia Offshore Wind project. The groups claim the project threatens the North Atlantic right whale, an endangered species. They argue that despite Dominion Energy's assurances of thorough environmental reviews and protections, the project approval disregarded procedural errors and failed to consider the cumulative impact of multiple wind projects along the East Coast. This lawsuit highlights the ongoing debate over balancing green energy initiatives with environmental conservation efforts, particularly regarding offshore wind development and its potential impacts on marine life. https://lnkd.in/eiJbMEm4

𝗨𝗦 𝗳𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝘁𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries have released a final joint strategy to protect and promote the recovery of endangered North Atlantic right whales while developing #offshorewindenergy. North Atlantic right whales are approaching extinction and approximately 360 individuals are remaining, including fewer than 70 reproductively active females, the agencies said. “𝘙𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭 – 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵, 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘴 – 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘳, 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘺 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵,” said Janet Coit, NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator. The draft strategy, issued in 2022, was developed to support the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of deploying 30 GW of #offshorewind by 2030. Read the full article via the link below. #RenewableEnergy #EnergyTransition #OffshoreWind #OffshoreWindEnergy #WindEnergy #WindPower

Very interesting paper on LCA of multi-use offshore farm 👇

New multi-use publication out, with many thanks to Laura Vittoria De Luca, Bilge Bas, Jo Dewulf and Sue Ellen Taelman for leading this LCA study. . It is unclear what the environmental impact of maritime multi-use is, from a life-cycle perspective, where there is potential to create synergies in the value chains, and how similar the impact compares to currently used alternatives. Therefore, this study performs a Life Cycle Assessment on a combination of a full scale existing wind energy farm and a mussel farm design. Mainly the supply chain of materials required to manufacture its components followed by the operational activities of the multi-use offshore farm contribute to the environmental footprint. Moreover, taking advantage of joint activities, i.e. combined transport between the wind and mussel farm during operational activities (Scenario 1) and at decommissioning phase (Scenario 2) did not show a significant reduction in the overall net impacts of a multi-use farm. interesting for ULTFARMS?

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has finalized a Wind Energy Area (WEA) designati in the Gulf of Maine, earmarked to support 32G W of clean energy, potentially exceeding Massachusetts and Maine's offshore wind goals. This step follows extensive consultations aimed at minimizing impacts on fishing, whale habitats, and tribal fishing grounds. An upcoming environmental assessment and public consultations will further refine this initiative. #RenewableEnergy #OffshoreWind #SustainableDevelopment #CleanEnergy #BOEM #GulfOfMaine https://lnkd.in/eiTXR7FP

The final North Atlantic Right Whale and Offshore Wind Strategy announced by NOAA and BOEM makes for interesting reading. This strategy provides a comprehensive approach to managing the impact of offshore wind energy on the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. It is a significant step towards balancing the need for clean, renewable energy to address the climate crisis while protecting and conserving the right whale population. The collaborative effort between government agencies, industry stakeholders, and conservation organizations demonstrates a commitment to sustainable development and environmental stewardship. The North Atlantic Right Whale and Offshore Wind Strategy acknowledges the importance of considering the potential risks to marine life during the development and operation of offshore wind projects. By implementing measures to minimize impacts on the right whale habitat and migration routes, the strategy ensures that the growth of renewable energy does not come at the expense of wildlife conservation. This proactive approach sets a precedent for responsible and sustainable energy development that prioritizes environmental preservation. See the link below for further information. #RenewableEnergy #EnvironmentalConservation #Sustainability

Some estimates suggest that, at their peak, 9,000-21,000 North Atlantic right whales swam just off the East Coast. But as the commercial whaling industry grew through the 18th and 19th centuries, the population floundered. In fact, their name came from whalers, who referred to them as the “right” whales to hunt because they were often found near shore, they swam slowly, and they tended to float after death, due to their high fat percentage. By the 1920s, perhaps fewer than 100 North Atlantic right whales remained. But the population rebounded after commercial whaling was banned in 1935, and by 2010 there were as many as 483 individuals. Since then, however, that progress has been reversed. Altogether, between 2011 and 2020, 43% of North Atlantic right whales died, and scientists say the species could become functionally extinct within the next 30 years. Reasons for this decline are entanglement and collisions and not (yet) offshore windfarm.