Posters
Come meet the poster presenters to ask them questions and discuss their work
We would like to invite you to come and see the posters at our upcoming conference. The posters will showcase a diverse range of research topics, and will give delegates an opportunity to engage with the authors and learn more about their work. Whether you are a seasoned researcher or simply curious about the latest developments in your field, we believe that the posters will offer something of interest to everyone. So please join us at the conference and take advantage of this opportunity to learn and engage with your peers in industry and the academic community.
On 9 April at 17:15, we’ll also hold the main poster session and distinguish the 7 best posters of this year’s edition with our traditional Poster Awards Ceremony. Join us at the poster area to cheer and meet the laureates, and enjoy some drinks with all poster presenters!
We look forward to seeing you there!
PO064: Enhancing offshore wind development: A new biodiversity LCA framework for net-positive ecological impact
Yuki Esser, Head of Operations, Dutch Marine Energy Centre
Abstract
THIS STUDY INTRODUCES A BIODIVERSITY LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT (BIODIVERSITY LCA) FRAMEWORK DESIGNED TO ADDRESS CRITICAL GAPS IN EXISTING LCA METHODOLOGIES FOR OFFSHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS. CURRENT LCA ANALYSIS FOCUSES PRIMARILY ON CARBON FOOTPRINTS, COSTS AND RESOURCE USE BUT FAILS TO ACCOUNT FOR (MARINE) BIODIVERSITY THROUGHOUT THE LIFE CYCLE OF AN OFFSHORE WIND INSTALLATION. THE DESCRIBED FRAMEWORK IS DESIGNED TO INTEGRATE BOTH POSITIVE BIODIVERSITY IMPACTS—SUCH AS ENHANCED SPECIES DIVERSITY FROM ARTIFICIAL REEF CREATION—AND POTENTIAL NEGATIVE EFFECTS, INCLUDING HABITAT DISRUPTION AND SPECIES DISPLACEMENT. IT IS SHAPED BY THE LATEST SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND CONTINUOUS STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT (E.G., LI ET AL., 2023; WATSON ET AL., 2024; WINTER ET AL., 2017). THE FRAMEWORK'S INNOVATIVE COMPONENTS INCLUDE: (1) NEW CHARACTERIZATION FACTORS TO QUANTITATIVELY ASSESS BIODIVERSITY IMPACTS, FOCUSING ON SPECIES RICHNESS, ABUNDANCE, AND HABITAT INTEGRITY; (2) ADVANCED SPATIAL MODELING TECHNIQUES USING HIGH-RESOLUTION, REGION-SPECIFIC BIODIVERSITY DATA FOR ENHANCED PREDICTIVE ACCURACY; AND (3) METRICS FOR EVALUATING CUMULATIVE IMPACTS OVER TIME, SUCH AS HABITAT CHANGES AND BENEFITS FROM REDUCED BOTTOM TRAWLING. THESE ELEMENTS ALIGN WITH THE UN GLOBAL COMPACT (2024) PRINCIPLES FOR NET-POSITIVE BIODIVERSITY OUTCOMES IN OFFSHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY (ORE) PROJECTS. INITIAL ANALYSES INDICATE THAT CURRENT PRACTICES, PARTICULARLY THOSE RELATED TO DECOMMISSIONING, MAY LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE BIODIVERSITY IMPACTS. HOWEVER, ADJUSTMENTS TO DECOMMISSIONING STRATEGIES - SUCH AS PARTIAL RETENTION OF MONOPILES AND CABLES - COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT IN NET-POSITIVE BIODIVERSITY OUTCOMES BY PRESERVING NEW HABITATS FORMED DURING THE OPERATIONAL PHASE. THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THE FRAMEWORK'S POTENTIAL TO TRANSFORM OFFSHORE WIND DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES, BALANCING ECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC OBJECTIVES IN OFFSHORE WIND DEVELOPMENT.
No recording available for this poster.
