Presentations

Abstract

Production of renewable wind energy at sea is steadily expanding in Denmark and globally, contributing ocean solutions to climate change. However, as offshore wind farms (OWFs) occupy vast marine areas, it is imperative that windfarm developers investigate solutions to alleviate the pressure on marine space and resources and contribute to ocean resilience strategies by addressing negative anthropogenic impacts. Using the Danish Kriegers Flak OWF as a pilot site, the WIN@Sea project develops and demonstrates a visionary marine multi-use concept where renewable energy production is coupled with nature-based solutions to strengthen the resilience of marine ecosystems, mitigate climate change, support sustainable food production and boost the public awareness of the complexity and beauty of the ocean. Specifically, the nature-based solutions integrated and tested in WIN@Sea include low-trophic aquaculture of seaweeds and bivalves, as well as artificial reef structures. The WIN@Sea project is a pilot study within the larger, EU funded OLAMUR project and brings together a diverse consortium of partners that includes a wind farm operator, three Danish universities, a seaweed farmer and a public aquarium in charge of communication and outreach. The project runs for a period of four years and includes two growing seasons of seaweed and mussels within the OWF, as well as various environmental monitoring campaigns and educational outreach events. In this talk, the main opportunities and challenges regarding multi-use of ocean space between different industries will be discussed. The talk will include some of the main learnings from the WIN@Sea pilot study and discuss how the potential upscaling of multi-use efforts could contribute to addressing societal challenges.