Salamander floating wind project to collaborate with Scottish universities on marine environment study
Salamander, a joint venture between Ørsted, Simply Blue Group and Subsea7, has partnered with two Scottish universities to investigate any potential impact of floating windfarms on marine ecosystems.
The PREDICT 2.0 initiative forms part of a research programme led by experts at the University of the Highlands and Islands’ (UHI) Environmental Research Institute and the University of Aberdeen, and is designed to develop a better understanding of fish migration patterns.
With significant renewable infrastructure set to be installed in coming years, any potential impacts of future developments on fish and their predators must be considered. The proposed Salamander site will be used as a monitoring base to gather data on the drivers of variation in fish movement and availability as prey.
Hugh Yendole, Project Director at Salamander said: “We are proud to be collaborating with two leading universities on this crucial piece of research. As a stepping stone project, part of our role is to prepare the industry to deliver for the renewable needs of the future, and this study will provide real insight into how we can do so in the most sustainable way possible.
“Projections place offshore wind at the centre of the Scottish energy mix in the coming years, and we are keen to ensure this is done in a way that protects our planet as well as our people.”
Dr Benjamin Williamson, Associate Professor of Energy at UHI said: “Marine sensing is vital to understand the environment around floating offshore wind farms. Robust information and evidence are needed to inform where offshore wind developments should be located to better protect marine ecosystems.”
Experts will deploy various sensors that can be used to identify fish presence and behaviour in the site, whilst assessing how these change over time.
The original PREDICT programme enhanced understanding of fish migration patterns and provided a vision for next generation monitoring techniques. The second phase is expected to further such research, working with the Salamander team to investigate the likely impacts of floating offshore wind farms on marine life.
To be located 35 km off the coast of Peterhead, the 100 MW Salamander floating offshore wind farm will generate enough green energy to power 100,000 Scottish homes. If consented, the project will provide key insights and opportunities for the Scottish supply chain for future larger-scale developments in Scottish waters and further afield, ahead of the larger-scale ScotWind build out.
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Notes to editors:
For more information, contact: Chloe Martin at BIG Partnership, chloe.martin@bigpartnership.co.uk
About Salamander Floating Offshore Wind
The 100 MW Salamander floating wind project, a joint venture between Ørsted, Simply Blue Group and Subsea7, will be a major contributor to ensuring the UK government’s target of delivering 5 GW of operational floating offshore wind by 2030 is both achievable and to the maximum benefit of public and private stakeholders.
The pioneering project, located 35 km off Peterhead on the East Coast of Scotland, is designed to provide the Scottish supply chain with an early capacity development opportunity, enabling it to play a much greater role in subsequent large-scale floating offshore wind buildout.
The project will deploy innovative and cutting-edge floating offshore wind technologies to support the cost reduction and learning journey needed for the commercial deployment of floating offshore wind.
In May 2023, Salamander signed an exclusivity agreement as part of Crown Estate Scotland’s Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing round.
The 100 MW project will be a contributor in the delivery of the Scottish Government’s target 11 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and the UK Government’s target of 5 GW of operational floating offshore wind by the same date.
Further information concerning the proposed floating offshore wind farm can be found at: www.salamanderfloatingwind.com
About Ørsted
The Ørsted vision is a world that runs entirely on green energy. Ørsted develops, constructs and operates offshore and onshore wind farms, solar farms, energy storage facilities, and bioenergy plants, and provides energy products to its customers. Globally, Ørsted is the market leader in offshore wind and it is constructing the world’s biggest offshore wind farms off the UK’s East Coast.
Ørsted is recognised on the CDP Climate Change A-List as a global leader on climate action and was the first energy company in the world to have its science-based net-zero emissions target validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Headquartered in Denmark, Ørsted employs approx. 8,000 people, including over 1,100 in the UK.
Visit orsted.co.uk or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter
About Simply Blue Group
Simply Blue Group, headquartered in Cork, Ireland, is a leading blue economy developer focused on replacing fossil fuels with clean ocean energy. It develops pioneering blue economy projects – offshore wind, sustainable fuels, marine energy, carbon dioxide removal and low-impact aquaculture – all in harmony with the oceans. The company has a pipeline of over 10 GW of offshore wind projects across the globe.
Simply Blue Group is committed to creating new economic opportunities for coastal communities, and developing projects that co-exist with sustainable fisheries and marine conservation.
With a passionate team of over 100 people, Simply Blue Group has offices in Cork, Dublin, Newquay, Pembrokeshire, Edinburgh, Bilbao, and Nova Scotia.
To find out more about our blue economy projects, please visit https://simplybluegroup.com/
About Subsea7
Subsea7 is a global leader in the delivery of offshore projects and services for the energy industry. Subsea7 makes offshore energy transition possible through the continuous evolution of lower-carbon oil and gas and by enabling the growth of renewables and emerging energy. It creates sustainable value by delivering the offshore energy transition solutions the world needs, for today and tomorrow.
To find out more visit www.subsea7.com or Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.
About the Environmental Research Institute (ERI) at the University of the Highlands and Islands
The ERI is part of UHI North, West and Hebrides, based in Thurso in the Highlands of Scotland. We are located close to the Pentland Firth and Flow Country, and these incredible natural resources enable us to deliver acclaimed research, education and training, as well as other commercial services, consultancy and knowledge exchange. Our philosophy of “research where the resource is” means ERI is ideally situated, yet our research has international reach and impact. We capitalise on our multi-disciplinary expertise, notably engineering and ecology, to address environmental uncertainties and issues underpinning development of the renewable energy sector to support low-carbon and net-zero development.
UHI is a tertiary partnership serving our communities and connected to their needs. We offer flexible and supported learning from Access level to PhD, as well as research opportunities rooted in place and purpose. To find out more visit www.eri.ac.uk or http://uhi.ac.uk/energy
About the University of Aberdeen
Established in 1495, the University of Aberdeen is the fifth oldest in the UK and is ranked within the Top 20 universities in the UK in the latest Guardian University Guide and Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide.
The University is renowned for its world-leading research in health, energy, food and nutrition and environmental and biological sciences. The University also has an outstanding track-record for arts and humanities research.
Established to serve the north-east of Scotland, today our university is a global presence in higher education with a community of more than 130 nationalities including 14,000 students and 3,600 staff
