Innovative remote survey completed at Hollandse Kust Noord

The survey took place at CrossWind’s Hollandse Kust Noord offshore windfarm. Fugro said the project “marks a significant shift in marine ecosystem monitoring.”

The company said, “This innovative approach enables more efficient and less disruptive monitoring, which is crucial for protecting marine life and the sustainable growth of offshore wind energy.”

Together, the BeWild partners integrated computer vision and environmental DNA sampling into Fugro’s Blue Volta electrically powered, remotely operated vehicle (eROV). The system was deployed from its Blue Essence uncrewed surface vessel (USV), with both USV and eROV controlled from Fugro’s remote operations centre in Aberdeen.

BeWild Manager Dan Smith explained, “This survey provides a glimpse into the future of offshore ecology monitoring. By delivering high-quality data remotely, we are not only reducing operational costs and environmental impact, but enabling our clients to gain unprecedented insights into the health and biodiversity of their offshore assets. We are excited about the potential this technology holds for the sustainable development of offshore wind energy.”

CrossWind marine ecologist Pauline Roos said, “At CrossWind, we are excited to combine remote asset inspections with ecological monitoring of our nature-inclusive scour protection measures. By combining the two, we can be more efficient with our resources offshore, ultimately making it safer for people. We look forward to seeing the results of these surveys.”

Marine ecologist at The Rich North Sea, Renate Olie said, “In this survey, we explored how regular offshore inspections can integrate ecological monitoring. By using autonomous technology and different survey techniques, we obtained a better understanding of marine biodiversity around wind turbines. By combining offshore wind energy with nature enhancement, we work towards a thriving and biodiverse North Sea.”

The survey is the first of four research and development assessments at CrossWind under the BeWild project, supported by a subsidy from the Dutch Enterprise Agency.