WindEurope’s annual event is strongly focused on the industry, where until recently nature was given limited attention. This year, this was already changing. For example, there were several panel discussions on the role of wind energy in countering negative impacts on nature. The workshop of the Offshore Coalition of Energy and Nature (OCEaN), of which De Rijke Noordzee is a member, focused on a nature-enhancing approach.
The team shared some experiences during the event, including the project with Orsted presented by colleague Eline. We also explained our Toolbox under development, sharing that it can serve as support for innovation and research in nature enhancement. Also discussed were the challenges surrounding the decommissioning and removal of wind farms and associated infrastructure. For, what should happen at the end of the life of a wind farm, when valuable nature has been created through a nature-inclusive approach, while the law requires everything to be removed?
During the panel discussion “Biodiversity Offshore,” Ewout van Galen, director of The North Sea Foundation, participated and emphasized the positive shift toward more attention to nature enhancement and mitigation in offshore wind farms. However, he also pointed out the pressure under which North Sea nature is under and stressed the importance of a greater voice for nature in any plans Europe has at sea.