BlueWise Marine has been engaged by the Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) to explore options for integrating biodiversity-friendly design throughout the entire lifecycle of Irish offshore wind farms, including construction, operation, and decommissioning.
As Ireland advances in its energy transition, there is a need to address the potential environmental impacts of offshore wind and to help the sector achieve its emissions targets. Additionally, we must leverage these technologies to enhance biodiversity and ecological restoration opportunities.
BlueWise Marine team will review the existing literature to understand current options for biodiversity-friendly design at each stage of an offshore wind farm’s lifecycle. This review will help to identify biodiversity-friendly offshore wind energy projects and initiatives both in Ireland and abroad. The project team will select initiatives based on their suitability to the Irish context and then shortlist the most effective and viable nature-inclusive offshore wind design options to deliver multiple benefits for climate, biodiversity, and Irish people.
Finally, a gap analysis will be conducted to identify further research needs for an integrated approach to offshore renewable energy and biodiversity in Ireland. The gap analysis will highlight successful projects and initiatives from other regions of the world that have not been attempted in the Irish context yet. It will also spotlight biodiversity-friendly projects that were not initially designed to be integrated into offshore wind developments but could be integrated effectively.
Creating a comprehensive list of biodiversity-friendly design options for offshore wind farms in Ireland, along with identifying research requirements for advancing these designs, will support the implementation of the Future Framework for offshore renewable energy. This effort will also strengthen the evidence base for Ireland’s climate and biodiversity policy portfolio.
In its Annual Review of 2023, the Climate Change Advisory Council highlighted the need to prioritise biodiversity in the design of Irish offshore wind farms, ensuring that offshore wind energy benefits Ireland’s national climate goals while safeguarding its biodiversity. This research will contribute towards addressing this important issue.
The final report will be published on the Climate Change Advisory Council website.
