Marine Renewable Energy
Programme background
The UK Government has targets for deployment of 35GW* of offshore wind and 2GW each of tidal and wave energy by 2020, with further substantial increases planned for 2050.
Marine renewable technologies place structures on and above the seabed that add physical complexity to areas where it did not exist before. Such structures provide new surfaces for the attachment of epibenthic flora and fauna, provide a trophic focus and a refuge for fish populations, and modify sediment regimes and water column structure and flows.
The exact nature, scale and significance of these biophysical changes for a particular location depend on the size and spatial arrangement between structures within the larger field; on the prevailing physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the location; and on the physical characteristics of individual structures.
Now is an opportune time to go beyond simple 'environmental impact statements' and to predict the cumulative environmental interactions of scaling-up to large offshore wind arrays or deploying the newer 'wet renewables' (wave and tidal energy).
While there is now considerable experience and established procedures in place to assess and monitor the localised impact of arrays of essentially static windfarm monopiles, the interaction of multiple arrays of devices need a much broader view than has been taken to date.
The interaction between the environment and devices that actively extract wave and tidal energy from the marine environment is even more complex, both from the physical and ecological standpoint.
These interactions must be looked at from a 'whole system' approach where a few potentially negative impacts may be outweighed by wider benefits to the environment in terms on subtle changes to habitats and hydrodynamic interactions with coastal areas.
This programme will contribute to the evidence base to predict the environmental implications of future marine renewable energy options at appropriate scales, and to the research capacity to deliver decision support about the biophysical properties of coastal and marine environments to promote offshore and near-coastal renewables development with enhanced environmental benefits.
This research programme will run for four years and activities will, where possible, link to new or existing structures as demonstrator sites to test the science.
About the programme
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