Planet Beyond

Over three episodes, we’ve been learning about ways to maintain, and even improve, biodiversity around offshore wind farms. We’ve heard how the industry is helping to shape biodiversity policy. We’ve talked to researchers who are developing ways to monitor the interactions of birds and turbines. And in this final episode, we’re going to discover innovative ways to monitor biodiversity across marine ecosystems more efficiently, and less invasively. Umberto Binetti is a marine biodiversity expert, working for developer RWE [https://www.rwe.com/en/]. He explains that current monitoring requirements focus on construction, when the most disruption is expected. Some wind turbines are now reaching the end of their design life, and face mandatory removal. This could see foundations that have become a biodiversity hotspot being dismantled, at great expense and risk to offshore workers, with a negative impact on marine life. RWE’s SeaMe [https://www.rwe.com/en/research-and-development/wind-power/seame-project/] project at the Kaskasi windfarm in Germany, supported by the German Alliance for Marine Research (DAM [http://allianz-meeresforschung.de/en]), is using a suite of innovative technologies, including drones, autonomous underwater vehicles, eDNA, and machine vision to provide holistic monitoring of wind farms. Fugro’s Dan Smith is working on the BeWild project [https://www.wur.nl/en/project/bewild-measuring-biodiversity-at-offshore-wind-farms.htm] at the CrossWind wind farm in the Danish North Sea, in collaboration with Wageningen University, Mecal [https://mecal.nl/], Seekable [https://www.seekable.nl/] and the Rich North Sea [https://www.therichnorthsea.com/]. The project uses Fugro’s uncrewed surface vessels and remotely operated vehicles, alongside other equipment, to collect high resolution images for three-dimensional photogrammetry, and eDNA. These innovations will help develop holistic ecosystem-wide monitoring, allow wind farm owners, regulators, and other stakeholders to understand the most effective means to ensure wind farms have a positive impact on nature, as well as on climate change. Host Jon Baston-Pitt Guests Umberto Binetti, Marine Biodiversity Expert, RWE Daniel Smith, Offshore Wind Biodiversity Solution Owner, Fugro

Offshore wind farms promise to provide much of the clean power needed for the energy transition. But in their construction and operation, they interact with wildlife above and below the water. In this episode, the second of three on biodiversity and offshore wind, we learn how scientists are developing best practices for protecting birds and enhancing biodiversity underwater. Jesper Kyed Larsen is a bioscience expert working with Vattenfall, and focused on how we can measure interactions between birds and wind turbines. His work explores how vision systems and machine learning can be used to track birds as they fly around wind farms, and will help shape mitigation measures to reduce collisions.  Isaac de Boer Ferrier is project manager for the Rich North Sea programme at the North Sea Foundation. His organisation has been conducting research on how to encourage the formation of oyster beds around wind farms, which will boost biodiversity on the seabed around turbine foundations and anchoring systems. These projects, and more, are shared through the Rich North Sea Toolbox [https://toolbox.therichnorthsea.com/], a guide to enhancing biodiversity around wind farms. Host Jon Baston-Pitt, Fugro Guests Jasper Kyed Larsen, Bioscience Expert, Vattenfall Isaac de Boer Ferrier, Project Manager, The Rich North Sea, The North Sea Foundation Image credit The Rich North Sea

Decarbonisation is vital to maintaining a safe and liveable world. Much of the carbon that human industry emits can be avoided through the use of renewable energy and other new technologies. But not all carbon can be handled in this way. Some industries generate carbon emissions not just from their energy use, but as a result of inherent processes: a good example of this is cement manufacture, which releases carbon dioxide as a chemical byproduct, and also requires kiln temperatures which cannot be achieved using electricity. Other sectors would see commercial challenges and unnecessary job losses in a rush to renewables. And we were emitting large amounts of carbon dioxide for two centuries before we understood the impacts it would have on our environment. Carbon capture promises to fill the gaps in climate change mitigation that decarbonisation can’t reach. Carbon can be captured at source from those facilities that can’t eliminate emissions, or directly from the air.  The question then is what to do with the carbon captured? That’s what our guests in this episode have been addressing. Dr Camelia Knapp is a professor of geology who has been exploring suitable sites for its storage. Fernando C Hernandez is global chairman at the Society for Low Carbon Technologies, whose work focuses on promoting commercial applications for captured carbon and promoting policies that will make carbon capture a viable proposition. Host Jon Baston-Pitt, Fugro Guests Dr Camelia Knapp, Professor of Geophysics, Boone Pickens School of Geology, Oklahoma State University [https://cas.okstate.edu/geology/] Fernando C Hernandez, Global Chairman, Society for Low Carbon Technologies [https://societyforlowcarbon.com/]

Offshore wind farms are key to supplying the energy the world needs, sustainably and reliably. We know they are vital to meeting our decarbonisation goals; but we don’t fully understand their impact on ecosystems. With thousands of turbines due to be installed over the next decade, we must build our knowledge of their interactions with marine life, and develop systems to ensure a positive impact on biodiversity. Over three episodes, we’ll cover different topics from policy to practice, to innovative technologies and hear how wind farm developers and NGOs are working together to deliver more biodiversity around wind farms. In this first episode, Cristina Simioli and Emma Hospes join host Jon Baston-Pitt to share the work the sector has been doing to establish a common understanding of biodiversity, best practices for its protection and a need for a common policy. Cristina is Director for Offshore Energy and Nature, at the Renewables Grid Initiative, and lead of the Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature (OCEaN). OCEaN is split into two regions, North Sea & Baltic, and Mediterranean & Atlantic. As Cristina explains, the lessons learned about biodiversity by early movers in the north of Europe, are now being shared with those getting to work in the very different environment of the Mediterranean. Emma leads the biodiversity programme at Ørsted, the Danish renewables operator. The operator primarily works across Northern Europe and Emma shares how there is still a long road ahead before a common consensus on what good likes in terms of biodiversity is reached. And explains how the company is working to share lessons learned, and what is needed to build the required consensus. Host Jon Baston-Pitt, Fugro Guests Cristina Simioli, Director, Offshore Energy and Nature, the Renewables Grid Initiative [https://renewables-grid.eu/] (RGI) Emma Hospes, Head of Biodiversity Programme, Ørsted [https://orsted.com/]

In December, Planet Beyond talked to Leon Koning about his ambitious plans to cross the Atlantic with three teammates as Team Row4Cancer, part of the World’s Toughest Row. He set out with four goals: getting to the finish line, beating the rest of the teams, beating the world record, and remaining friends with his fellow rowers. In this short, Leon returns to Planet Beyond, following his arrival back on dry land. The team achieved three of their four goals, he tells host Jon Baston-Pitt. He shares the physical and emotional challenges of the row and we learn how the team kept themselves motivated, through the headwinds of their 5,000km journey. As their row reached its final days, the team looked forward to their return to their friends and families, and to fresh food. Leon tells us about enjoying the world’s best burger, and about a key lesson he learned from the voyage: whatever goals you have on your list, the best time to do them is now. Host Jon Baston-Pitt, Fugro Guest Leon Koning, Legal Counsel, Europe and Africa, Fugro