Research & Development

Ecosystem and society

By modelling the marine ecosystem, with its environmental components and associated human coactivities, we develop a comprehensive approach to simulate and assess the cumulative environmental and socio-economic impacts of offshore wind farms.

Anticipating the cumulative impacts of offshore wind on the marine ecosystem

The construction and operation of offshore wind farms can have environmental impacts as well as trigger local socio-economic changes. Being able to characterise these effects using an integrated approach is crucial to anticipating the direct and indirect impacts of this new offshore activity. In this way, the integration of wind farms into the existing socio-ecosystem can be carried out in a manner that takes into account both environmental and societal challenges. To this end, we are developing predictive models of the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems subject to various human activities. This socio-ecosystemic approach allows us to describe how human activities at sea – including shipping traffic, commercial fishing, raw material extraction, and offshore wind development – can impact the overall functioning of a socio-ecosystem. The tools we are developing make it possible to simulate different deployment scenarios for offshore wind farms, anticipate cumulative impacts and support decision-making.

R&D topics linked to the needs of the offshore wind sector

Modelling marine socio-ecosystems

Offshore wind energy must be integrated into a marine socio-ecosystem subject to multiple constraints, whether technical, legal, societal or ecological. Since 2016, we have been developing approaches based on a holistic view of the socio-ecosystem to promote the effective environmental and societal integration of offshore renewable energy projects. We began by adapting an ecosystem model to the context of offshore wind development, incorporating the impacts associated with climate change (TROPHIK project). This laid the foundations for assessing the cumulative impacts of various human activities on the functioning of marine ecosystems. We then expanded this approach by incorporating societal and economic considerations to develop new socio-ecosystem models (APPEAL project). To take this socio-ecosystemic approach further, we developed a conceptual model to characterise the link between the development of wind farms and ecosystem services (WINDSERV project). These approaches provide a better understanding of the conflicts and synergies between offshore wind development and environmental and socio-economic considerations.

WINDSERV Project

Assessing cumulative impacts

Assessing cumulative impacts of offshore wind farms in environmental impact studies is a regulatory requirement. We develop operational tools to support the offshore wind sector in meeting these obligations. These tools rely on multi-scale modelling of offshore wind farms interacting with the marine environment, the organisms inhabiting it, and other human activities (NESTORE project). Cumulative impacts of offshore wind farms and other anthropogenic activities are assessed using numerical models that integrate species dynamics and fishing fleets, depending on the study area. However, these models often oversimplify cultural and socio-economic factors of fisheries dynamics. Our transdisciplinary team is improving the representation of fisheries in ecosystem models (FISHOREMAN project). This offers two advantages. Firstly, a better assessment of the vulnerability of fishing fleets to the development of offshore wind energy. Secondly, more reliable simulations of cumulative environmental impacts under different scenarios of shared use of the maritime space. Other coactivities, such as maritime transport and underwater noise, are also considered for a comprehensive cumulative impact assessment (DRACCAR-MMERMAID project).

FISHOREMAN Project

Life-cycle assessment of wind farms

To ensure that wind farms are integrated sustainably into our environment and societies, life-cycle assessment (LCA) is a standardised and internationally recognised tool. Yet LCA is often limited to environmental aspects such as greenhouse gas emissions, and societal dimensions remain underdeveloped. We therefore designed a comprehensive methodological framework for environmental and societal LCA of offshore wind farms (LIF-OWI project). This aims to better address issues such as social acceptability and impacts on biodiversity and marine resources. We are also diversifying the criteria used to assess environmental and socio-economic impacts. The objective is to provide a more complete set of evaluation criteria for wind tenders at the European scale (COMPASS project).

COMPASS Project

Reducing impacts of floating wind farms

We help to minimise the environmental impact of floating offshore wind turbines by focusing specifically on reducing underwater noise. We are advancing acoustic and ecosystem modelling tools to assess the characteristics of underwater noise and its impacts on marine species and the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems (FLOATFARM project). Using these tools, we are testing how platform architecture influences noise emissions in order to optimise their design. Furthermore, we are also assessing the reef effect generated by floating structures and the impact of mooring lines on marine habitats.

FLOATFARM Project

Sustainability and knowledge transfer to the sector

To improve offshore wind sustainability, integrated tools are needed to assess impacts. With European partners, we are developing a digital decision-support platform combining environmental, economic, and social analysis tools with a digital twin of offshore wind farms. This innovation will help stakeholders find optimal trade-offs between acceptability, environmental impacts, and performance (COMPASS project). As sustainable design is increasingly seen as a competitive advantage, we support upskilling across the sector by developing accelerators within a European alliance involving France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Ireland. This alliance facilitates integration of sustainability considerations into innovation projects. It provides support to SMEs (ORESA project).

ORESA Project

A dedicated team and resources for better assessing cumulative impacts

Our Ecosystem & Society Department brings together a wide range of expertise: ecology, oceanography, mathematics and computer science, geography, sociology, and political science. This diversity allows us to address issues from multiple angles, including trophic modelling, socio-ecosystem analysis, and social perception studies.

To feed our models with reliable data, we rely on unique infrastructures, such as a multi-instrumented met mast located at the edge of the Fécamp offshore wind farm. The environmental data collected is used to develop a local model to assess the potential impact of the wind farm(DRACCAR-MMERMAID project). At a broader scale, these data contribute to a regional model representing the heavily anthropised ecosystem of the eastern English Channel and southern North Sea, used to analyse cumulative impacts of multiple human activities and climate change.

Our Ecosystem & Society Department

Know more about our met mast

Examples of international collaborations

Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences | Belgium

The Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences is a leading scientific body involved in assessing the ecological impacts of Belgian offshore wind farms in the North Sea. Since 2008, it has been coordinating a programme to analyse the effects of these farms on marine biodiversity, as well as on sediment dynamics and carbon storage. It is involved in the NESTORE R&D project and contributes to improving tools for assessing the cumulative impacts of offshore wind energy.

IEA Wind Task 60 – CYCLEWIND | Denmark

We participate in CYCLEWIND, part of the IEA Wind TCP, an international programme for technological collaboration on wind energy. Bringing together 22 partners, it aims to harmonise and improve life-cycle analysis practices in the wind energy sector. Our institute contributes to improving environmental impact methodologies and developing policy recommendations for better LCA criteria in offshore wind tenders.

Ghent University | Belgium

The University of Ghent is a leading Belgian academic institution, renowned for its interdisciplinary research and excellence in science, engineering and innovation. As a partner in the European project ORESA, we work together on a sustainability accelerator supporting around 30 SMEs in designing sustainable marine energy solutions.

Technische Universität Berlin | Germany

The Technische Universität Berlin is a German institution renowned for its cutting-edge research in engineering, energy and digital technologies, with a strong focus on industrial innovation and sustainability. It participates in the European project COMPASS, which we are coordinating, bringing engineering expertise to model offshore wind farms across their entire life cycle. This helps develop impact assessment methods that enhance project sustainability.

Our R&D projects – Ecosystem & Society

See all

Closed

In progress

Our team and our partners testify

The evaluation process is not simply a box-checking exercise, it’s a real opportunity to discuss the content.

Salvatore D’ARCO

Sintef

Member of STC from 2018 to 2022

It was very important for us to be truly involved in the project to give substance to the partnership dimension in which we strongly believe.

Lisa GARNIER

RTE

Biodiversity R&D Manager

Another key strength of this Committee was that it is made up of researchers from different backgrounds, laboratories and countries. This leads to very rich and stimulating discussions.

Senu SIRNIVAS

National Laboratory of the Rockies

Member of STC from 2018 to 2022

We had to argue that we were on a growth trajectory and that we would soon become an institute of reasonable size.

Julien MARCHAL

France Energies Marines

Chairman from 2017 to 2021

That pioneering period was an exhilarating human adventure that will remain a highlight of my professional career.

Christophe CHABERT

France Energies Marines

Chairman from 2015 to 2017 and from 2021 to 2022

The direction we had initially envisaged has changed, but the result is exactly what we had hoped for. We can be proud of that!

Vincent DENBY WILKES

France Energies Marines

Chairmand from 2012 to 2015

Our Ecosystem & Society resources

Tools and softwares

Scientific articles

Webinars

Ecosystem and society

Anticipating the cumulative impacts of offshore wind on the marine ecosystem

R&D topics linked to the needs of the offshore wind sector

Modelling marine socio-ecosystems

Assessing cumulative impacts

Life-cycle assessment of wind farms

Reducing impacts of floating wind farms

Sustainability and knowledge transfer to the sector

A dedicated team and resources for better assessing cumulative impacts

Examples of international collaborations

Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences | Belgium

IEA Wind Task 60 – CYCLEWIND | Denmark

Ghent University | Belgium

Technische Universität Berlin | Germany

Our R&D projects – Ecosystem & Society

APPEAL

COMPASS

EOLENMER

FISHOREMAN

FLOATFARM

LIF-OWI

NESTORE

ORESA

Our team and our partners testify

Our Ecosystem & Society resources

Would you like to know more ?