Legacy of wind farms probed amid green energy expansion - University of St Andrews

Professor David Paterson from the School of Biology joins pioneering scientists to explore the impact of British wind farms on the seabed amid plans to build up to 25,000 more offshore turbines.

The project saw researchers charter the first private survey vessel to examine one of the oldest active offshore wind farms in the UK, the Ørsted wind farm, off the coast of Cumbria.

The team used new scientific equipment and techniques to sample the sea floor, working with colleagues from the University of Essex, wind farm operator Ørsted and the government’s marine experts, the Centre of Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS).

Marine scientists will compare the effects of oil platforms to get a snapshot of how fossil fuel and renewable energy assets vary in their impacts. They will discover how the turbines may affect biodiversity, carbon storage, and seabed composition.

It comes as The EU’s European Green Deal suggests building thousands of wind farms in the North Sea to hit carbon neutrality in 2050.

Expedition leader Dr Natalie Hicks, from the University of Essex said: “This research is hugely important. There are not enough specialist scientific vessels to gather the evidence in time so collaborating with industry is key to gathering data. We know our demand for Net Zero energy targets means we have seen an increase in offshore wind farms, so understanding any environmental effects of these wind farms is urgent. We hope this research will feed directly into policy decision-making around offshore wind consenting."