Science Topic

Offshore energy

Globally and in particular in UK waters there is a huge development of renewable energy infrastructure mainly led by offshore wind. The provision of clean energy is vital for sustaining prosperity whilst aiming for net zero carbon emissions and limiting global temperature rises. However, the degree of offshore activity is leading to concerns about the cumulative impact of this infrastructure on marine systems including other goods and services.

The UK’s energy transition will require further large-scale development of offshore wind, storage of blue and green hydrogen, and CO₂ storage. Interaction of these operations with sensitive marine environments and other marine based activities (fishing, aggregate extraction, cables, shipping), creates potentially significant new challenges for the protection and optimal use of these spaces.

We are investigating new approaches to monitor marine life and assess the socio-economic impacts of renewable energy structures and have used the high resolution model FVCOM to assess and forecast the impacts of these structures on scales from a single turbine to an entire shelf sea.

Using our model we have demonstrated that although the effects of a single turbine are small, but cumulatively the impacts of multiple installations can disrupt the flow of water, potentially altering marine ecosystems, and possibly the heights of tides. This could disrupt the benefits we derive from a healthy marine environment where even small changes to the tides can have damaging consequences for coastal habitats and flooding risks, particularly in conjunction with the changes already seen as a result of climate change. Much more research is needed to assess if these impacts are significant or not.

In order to examine the wider costs, benefits and trade-offs of marine renewable energy, we have proposed and tested methods for holistic assessment of the impacts of tidal barrages and offshore wind farms on ecosystem services. Our environmental economists have also determined monetary values for the effects of these technologies on habitats, species and the seascape. We have further examined how the benefits of offshore wind farms could be maximised through co-location with commercial and recreational fishing activities. With the prospect of commercially viable tidal energy coming ever closer, we are examining public perceptions, the role of small scale and community-led initiatives, and the implications of tidal developments for regional economies.

PML’s expertise seeks to understand the impacts of offshore energy production, maximise the sustainability of operations, and develop appropriate monitoring strategies.

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