Ørsted’s operational offshore wind farms around the world are already providing secure, renewable electricity plus economic advantages, and delivering long-term environmental benefits. Read on to find out more about how this has been achieved.
Everyone who cares about the environment wants to preserve beautiful landscapes, protect plants and wildlife, and take measures which limit the impact of changes we’re seeing in weather and climate.
But all this has to be balanced with ensuring we also have a secure of supply of renewable energy to meet the future needs of nations, communities and businesses that play a crucial role in modern life.
In many countries offshore wind power is already being used as one solution to this challenge because not only does it have a much lower carbon footprint compared to fossil fuel electricity generation, but also because companies such as Ørsted reduce the overall impact further by supporting local environmental initiatives that help nature and promote biodiversity.
Samir Whitaker, Biodiversity Lead Specialist at Ørsted, said: “We have a longstanding commitment to developing renewable energy in harmony with nature, and we strengthened this in recent years with our eight-step biodiversity measurement framework. This framework is the foundation of our aim for all the new renewable energy projects we commission from 2030 at the latest to have a net-positive biodiversity impact. In simple terms, and in the context of our offshore wind farms that will become operational from 2030, it means that the overall impact of projects will enhance biodiversity and have an overall impact that helps nature.”
So, what exactly do we mean by biodiversity? It’s generally defined as the variety of life in all forms, but it’s often simplified to diversity within and between species and of ecosystems. In the context of Ørsted’s forward-thinking approach to renewable energy development (including offshore wind farms) it means the impact on the natural environment in all its forms – including land and sea habitats, and all plants and animal species.
A net-positive biodiversity impact means that the overall outcome of Ørsted’s renewable energy projects (i.e. during construction, operational lifespan and decommissioning) the project will benefit nature in the local area or region where it is located. When compared to fossil fuel sources of electricity generation – such as coal, oil and gas – wind energy has a much lower carbon footprint to begin with, which is of course beneficial to the environment. However, companies such as Ørsted reduce the impact further by creating initiatives with local or regional wildlife trusts which help plants, animals and ecosystems.
For example, Ørsted has delivered initiatives such as artificial reefs to support Atlantic cod in the Netherlands and a programme to protect and conserve whales in the North Atlantic. The company also supports two projects in the north east of England. These involve monitoring crustacean habitats at Westermost Rough, and the Wilder Humber project which is helping to reverse the impact of decades of pollution from heavy industry in the region by working with local wildlife trusts to restore natural habitats such as sand dunes and salt marshes that are vital for native plants and animals.
Samir said: “These are just a few examples of many other biodiversity initiatives we support around the world. It demonstrates that our commitment to create and implement initiatives that ensure an overall net-positive contribution to natural ecosystems, habitats, and species is real and meaningful. While we already have many active projects, there will be more to come as we move towards achieving our net-positive biodiversity impact goals. These are meant to be ambitious, but we’re ready for the challenge thanks to a global team of environment specialists who are one of the renewable energy industry's most experienced in-house teams. For all of our renewable energy projects around the world we’re committed to working with local communities to deliver the many benefits of renewable energy in the most sustainable way. Collaborating on projects that encourage and enhance biodiversity are at the heart of that commitment.”