Offshore Wind

Offshore wind offers an abundant, reliable and local source of clean electricity. The industry is expanding rapidly as countries accelerate their energy transition plans. With that growth comes increasing scrutiny of biodiversity impacts – for example, collisions with migratory birds, disturbance of marine mammals and habitat loss – that must be addressed before developers secure financing and regulatory consent. However, there is increasing pressure for developers to go beyond merely addressing negative impacts and deliver positive contributions to biodiversity.

Our expertise 

Our renewables team provides expert assessment and advice informed by industry and academic experience. We work closely with developers, regulators, lenders and other stakeholders throughout the project life-cycle, from early stage planning, such as our work with the World Bank through the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), to post-construction monitoring, for example our work in collaboration with Spoor at the Equinor Hywind Tampen Floating Offshore Wind Farm. Our services are science-based and adjusted to the requirements of the client, designed to build strong working relationships and trust. We ensure that our approach is aligned with Good International Industry Practice, lender requirements and country-specific regulations.

We provide assessments and advice across the full project lifecycle, including: 

• Early-stage biodiversity risk screening and reporting to inform the planning, site-selection, and identify biodiversity considerations for later project phases
• Sensitivity and constraints mapping to inform site-selection
• Designing baseline surveys to enable risk assessment including collision risk modelling
• Mitigation design including shut down on demand
• Identifying strategies to offset residual impacts
• Design of monitoring to validate predicted impacts and assess the efficacy of mitigation measures
• Developing strategies to deliver nature positive offshore wind 

Beyond site-based work, we produce science-based guidance and assessments relevant to the broader offshore wind industry. This includes working with IUCN to develop industry guidance for early screening of biodiversity risk for offshore wind energy development and mitigating biodiversity impacts associated with solar and wind energy developments, and with the Global Initiative for Nature, Grids and Renewables (GINGR) to review reporting frameworks for offshore wind. We have analysed risk mitigation of offshore wind farm risks – from strategic compensation studies to modelling collision risk for floating turbines. Drawing from our strong ornithological expertise, we worked with BirdLife Europe to identify conservation and restoration measures for vulnerable seabirds, and with Ocean Energy Pathway to develop an approach to tracking shorebirds to understand potential interactions with offshore wind farms in the Philippines. 

With a combination of industry, practical and academic experience, we adjust our approach to the needs of each project and client. Our aim is to develop the evidence base developers and regulators need to make informed decisions.