Context

Throughout the life of offshore renewable energy projects, from the initial application phase to decommissioning and in-service monitoring, legislation requires consideration of the potential impacts of these projects on the environment and the use of the marine environment. Numerous questions arise for stakeholders (French State, regional authorities, developers, etc.) on the relevant environmental issues to be considered.

Created in 2018, the COME3T initiative brings together a set of French ORE stakeholders to address environmental issues to a panel of neutral and independent experts. Since 2023, socio-economic issues have been added to the topics submitted to the experts. The questions addressed are based on the issues identified by the sector, stakeholders and public questions on the development of marine renewable energy in France.

Objectives

• Provide expertise, synthesis and recommendations on the identification of environmental and socio-economic priority issues related to the development of ORE through the establishment of a neutral and independent experts committee.
• Install a national and unique network of experts that can be consulted by all ORE stakeholders.

Functioning and organisation

COME3T is coordinated by France Energies Marines, which acts as an interface between a steering committee, which prioritises the issues to be addressed, and the expert committees, which provide scientific knowledge.

The steering committee brings together all the COME3T project partners. It brings together a wide range of public and private stakeholders divided into different groups (clusters and consultancies, power grid and ORE developers, NGOs, French State and government institutions, regional and local authorities, scientists and academics). It is this steering committee that collectively selects the scientific topics to be addressed and ensures the independence and neutrality of the expert committees by studying the applications.

The expert committees bring together scientists selected by the steering committee for their expertise and knowledge of the subject. For each new topic addressed, a national call for applications is sent to the COME3T project partners and scientific networks (universities, research and excellence laboratories, chairs, etc.) in order to form a group of 3 to 5 scientific experts. The aim of each expert committee is to delve deeper into the question studied and to classify the topic according to the associated environmental or socio-economic issues. Summaries in the form of richly illustrated didactic bulletins are drawn up for each topic proposed. These bulletins are then used as a basis for the development of short educational videos.

In 2023, the third phase of the COME3T project was launched for a total budget of €200K from public (blue) and private (orange) investments. This new phase brings together 22 partners, including 9 financial partners. These 22 partners, divided into 6 main colleges, sit on the steering committee and participate in the monitoring of the project.

The COME3T Label

Created in 2023, the COME3T label aims to promote research projects that contribute to improving knowledge of the environmental and socio-economic issues arising from the development of marine renewable energies. Based on the same principles and organisation of COME3T, the labelled summaries meet the same objectives as the COME3T summaries:

• To provide expert appraisals, summaries, and recommendations
• To help expand the COME3T network of experts.

Treated topics

Phase 1 (2018-2019)

Bulletins

• Can bottom-fixed wind farms generate dangerous waves?
• Does the colonisation of ORE farms facilitate the introduction and spread of non-native species?

Videos (in French only)

• Dangerous waves
• Ballast water
• Relay effect
• Impact waves

Phase 2 (2020 – 2022)

Bulletins

• The reef effect of windfarms and their connection
• How to assess the impacts of an operational windfarm on marine mammals?
• In order to study the effect of noise from windfarms projects on marine ecosystems, is it relevant to work on a few taxa?
• Can the installation and operation of marine renewable energy influence the evolution of the coastline?

Videos (in French only)

• Reef effect
• Marine mammals monitoring

Phase 3 (2023 – 2024)

In progress

COME3T Label

Bulletins

In progress

Background

• Phase 1: 12 partners including 7 financial partners. Production of 2 didactic bulletins and 4 short videos over 12 months.
• Phase 2: 19 partners including 9 financial partners. Production of 8 didactic bulletins and 8 short videos over 18 months.
• Phase 3: 22 partners, including 9 financial partners. Production of 8 didactic bulletins and 8 short videos over 24 months.

Resources

Project sheet (PDF)

COME3T Bulletin N°6 – Evolution of coastline (PDF)

COME3T Bulletin N°5 – Effect of noise (PDF)

COME3T Bulletin N°4 – Marine mammals (PDF)

COME3T Bulletin N°3 – Reef effect (PDF)

COME3T Bulletin N°2 – Non-indigenous species (PDF)

COME3T Bulletin N°1 – Dangerous waves (PDF)

Press release – 25/02/20 (PDF)

Photo credit: Brook / AdobeStock